MLP: Rise of Muerte
by urbanskycrack
Summary: Twilight Sparkle and Spike try to find a hidden village with the help of a young dragon named Porr. However, a few hours after they arrived in the village, a pair of villains appear revealing a sinister plot by an evil entity called Muerte. With Equestria prone to destruction, will Twilight and her friends overcome this adversity? (Rated T for some violence and deaths)
1. Chapter 1: Village in the Mountains

**Chapter 1: Village in the Mountains.**

It was a bright day in a remote mountainous area in Equestria. Two figures were walking along the mountain path, a lavender alicorn, and a purple/green young dragon.

"We are going the right way, Twilight?" the young dragon asked.

"Of course, Spike. The village in these mountains should be around the next corner." Twilight said.

"Whatever you say," Spike said.

When they turned around the corner, all they could see were more mountains.

Twilight sighed in disbelief. "More mountains? You know, Spike, I don't think we can look for the village."

"You think?" Spike asked, "How about we ask a local for directions."

"And where would we find a local of a hidden village?" Twilight asked.

"Good point." Spike shook his head.

"Oh well, I will fly up and see if I can find it from the air," Twilight said.

Twilight flew up into the sky and scanned the mountain range. As she was about to land next to Spike, she saw a figure in the corner of her eye.

Twilight fell next to Spike. "Hey, Spike, I think I saw some pony over there."

"Could he be local?" Spike asked.

"I think so. Come one, let's check it out, Spike." Twilight said

"Okay." Spike hopped onto Twilights back.

Twilight and Spike flew in the direction of the local for a few minutes. When they arrived, they were stunned to see that it was not a pony, but a vermilion-scaled bipedal dragon waving a spear. The 7-foot tall dragon noticed Twilight and Spike, so he turned his body. Twilight and Spike were surprised.

"What brings you here, outsiders?" the dragon asked.

Twilight landed on a rock nearby. "Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike. We have searched for a village in these mountains for a while, but we can't find it."

The dragon looked at Twilight and gave a slight nod. "Why do you search for a village hidden in these mountains?"

"We heard rumors of a village and decided to check it out," Twilight said.

"Rumors you say?" the dragon said, "Well, those rumors are not false, there is a village, but getting there without the help of a local, you might as well give up and turn back.

"I take it you are a local then?" Twilight asked.

"That is correct, Princess," the dragon said, "If you want, I can take you to the village."

"Seriously? That would be great," Twilight, said.

"Alright, follow me." The dragon walked towards the mountain trail and put the spear on his back. "Oh, by the way, my name is Porr."

"Lead the way, Porr," Twilight said.

Porr, Twilight, and Spike were walking along the trail for a few hours before coming up to a dead end.

"Why did you lead us into a dead end, Porr?" Twilight asked.

"Who said this was a dead end," Porr said.

Porr walked up to the rocky wall and knocked thrice. A small opening in the mountainside appeared with a pair of eyes staring at Porr. The figure moved his eyes up and down scanning Porr and the two travelers.

"Password," the figure said.

"Mountains are the best place to live," Porr said.

The figure closed the opening in the rocky wall and pulled a lever. The rocky wall moved downward revealing a huge opening. Stationed at the entrance.

"Good afternoon, Porr," the first guard said, "Are you back from your training?"

"Yes." Porr pointed towards Twilight and Spike. "Also, we have guests."

"Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike, "Twilight said.

One of the guards walked toward Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle? Isn't that the name of Equestria's newest princess and alicorn?"

"A princess? All the way out here?" Another guard asked.

"Oh, Spike and I were just traveling the mountains alone trying to find this village," Twilight said.

The first guard chuckled. "You were wondering these mountains alone? You two should consider yourselves lucky that you found Porr while he trained outside the cave."

"Why is that?" Twilight asked.

"The creatures around here would have made a tasty morsel out of you without a second thought," The guard said.

"Is that right?" Twilight asked

Porr chuckled and then looked at the guard. "Stop teasing them Cross Work."

Alright, alright, I will stop," Cross Work said, "I hope you and Spike have an enjoyable stay here."

"Thank you, Cross Work," Twilight said.

"My pleasure," Cross Work said, "If you need to go outside just give us the word, and we will open up the entrance."

Porr, Twilight, and Spike waved at the guards as they walked down the tunnel. A few minutes have passed, and the three figures were about to reach the village. When they arrived, Twilight and Spike looked at the community with their jaw dropped. The beautiful village filled with ponies and dragons coexisting made it look like it was some hidden resort.

"Dragons and ponies coexisting?" Twilight asked.

"That's right, Twilight," Porr said, "These dragons are unique and can't live without the food the ponies make. In return, most of the dragons protect this place from harm. Without us dragons, they wouldn't last a week on their own."

"So it is like a symbiotic relationship?" Twilight asked.

"Correct," Porr said, "Enough talking, let's go and meet the locals."

Porr, Twilight, and Spike had finally arrived in the village, only to be greeted by the locals with some of the locals staring at the two travelers.

"How's it going, Porr?" A dragon asked.

"Back from your training?" Another dragon asked.

"My family will have a feast, tonight and we would all be happy if you could join us." One pony said.

Porr answered all the questions and greetings he received, some even asking about the two guests.

A couple of young dragons saw Spike and immediately went up to him.

"Hey there, my name is Gaze, and the two behind me are Jyrod and Chester. What is your name?" an adolescent dragon asked.

"My name is Spike," Spike said.

"Spike, huh, want to be friends and play with us?" The dragon asked.

"Alright, let me ask Twilight if I can go." Spike looked at Twilight.

"Can I hang out with these dragons?"

"Of course, Spike," Twilight said.

Spike waved at Twilight and Porr and ran off with the dragon trio. The greetings and questions were put to a halt when a young looking Pegasus flew in front of Porr and asked him and Twilight that they meet with the elders as soon as possible. They agreed and immediately walked to a tall building with the words 'Council Office' on the third floor.

Inside the building was a spacious room filled with a multitude of ponies and dragons. Porr and Twilight went up the stairs to the third floor.

"ENTER!" A loud voice said.

Porr opened the door leading to the council office and saw two elders, a unicorn on the right and a dragon on the left. The unicorn was called Lot. He had white, gray hair with a wrinkly sky blue coat. The dragon was called Rethyl. A big dragon whose age was unknown. He had crimson scales and huge spikes running down his body.

"Do you know why we summoned you, Porr?" Lot asked.

"Because I let in an outsider?" Porr asked

"That is one of the reasons, but we will talk about that later," Lot said.

"We want to speak with Princess Twilight Sparkle for a moment."

So Porr stepped to the side, and Twilight stayed where she was.

"What do you want to talk about, respected elders?" Twilight asked.

"Why have you come here, Princess?" Lot asked.

"I heard a few rumors about this place and wanted to check it out," Twilight said.

"Is that all?" Lot said, "Well, seeing that you are an alicorn and a princess, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like, Princess."

Twilight slightly nodded. "I planned on doing that, thank you for your kindness."

"Not a problem, Princess," Rethyl said, "Now, we need to talk with Porr in private. We hope it is not a bother for you to step outside the door."

"Not at all, elders." Twilight turned around and stepped out the door.

Now that Twilight is outside, it is just Porr and the two elders in the room.

"Porr, you should know the eventual consequences when you bring in an outsider," Rethyl said.

"I know, Grandfather, but she isn't just some outsider, she's a princess," Porr said.

"And, what if she wasn't a princess but a changeling?" Lot asked.

Porr put on a confident smile and looked at Lot. "Elder Lot, you should know as much as I do that if she were a changeling, I would be able to sense its presence and cut it in half."

"We are all aware of your abilities, Porr." Lot stroked his beard with his hoof. "I have no doubt that you would be able to kill a changeling."

"Will I be punished, Elder Lot?" Porr asked.

"I guess you can go with no food for three days," Lot said.

When Porr heard Lot say that sentence, he panicked and said: "No food for three days? Elder Lot, don't you think that is cruel. A day is fine, but three is too long, I might even die."

Lot looked at Porr with his eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, stop whining, it is only a few days, and you definitely will not die."

"I don't know, Lot, maybe it is cruel," Rethyl said.

Porr turned his head and looked at his grandfather. "Thank you, grandfather."

"You like to spoil him sometimes, Rethyl," Lot said, "But that won't change anything. Porr will go without food for three days."

"Sorry, Porr," Rethyl said, "You know Lot, he can be stubborn and not even I can change his mind."

Rethyl twitched his eyebrows. "Who's stubborn?"

"Never mind," Rethyl said.

"Now that this case is closed, I want to talk with Rethyl about something. So you can leave now."

"Then I will take my leave Elder Lot, Grandfather." Porr bowed and walked out of the room seeing Twilight lean against the wall. "I assume you heard that?"

Twilight nodded. "No food for three days is harsh."

"You have no idea, Twilight." Porr shook his head.

"Well, at least, your grandfather supported you," Twilight said, "Do you have any parents here, I would like to meet them."

After hearing Twilight ask about his parents, Porr clenched his claw into a fist. He stared coldly at Twilight and said: "Grandpa Reth is, in fact, my foster grandfather. As for my parents, I never knew them or even know how they look. Whenever I bring that topic up with Grandpa Reth, he always avoids it. So, I don't want you asking about my parents again, got it?"

Twilight felt a shiver down her spine. "Loud and clear. The thing with your parents is obviously a sensitive subject, so I will not press any further."

"Good." Porr returned to his usual self, and the two walked out of the building.

"Are you hungry, Twilight?" Porr asked.

"Oh yes, it has been a while since I last ate," Twilight said.

"Well, come with me, I know a great place to eat. I can also treat you." Porr said.

Twilight smiled. "Thank you, Porr."

Twilight and Porr walked down into the town and arrived at the front of a restaurant called "Dragon Diner." As they came, they saw an empty table and sat there. A waiter came up to them.

"What can I get for you?" the waiter asked.

Twilight looked at the menu. "I will have the large horseshoe-shaped fries and a milkshake, please."

"That is good, ma'am." The waiter then turned toward Porr. "What about you, Poor."

"I won't have anything. Elder Lot punished me," Porr said.

"A punishment from Elder Lot? Sounds harsh." The waiter walked to the counter.

"Hey, Twilight, I need to tell you something," Porr said.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I have been having a bad feeling since I left the building," Porr said.

"How bad?" Twilight asked.

"I can't explain it in detail, but a disaster is about to happen. I do not know how this disaster will unfold or where it will come from," Porr said.

"Have you told your grandfather about this?" Twilight asked.

"I think he would be able to sense it as well." Porr handed Twilight some bits. "I got to go somewhere secret, so take care, Twilight."

As Twilight and Porr finished whispering, Twilight's food arrived, and Porr left the restaurant to a secret place that only a few citizens of the village know. In that secret place, at the center. There were also guards stationed all over the place and even Elder Lot, and Rethyl were there.

One of the guards noticed Porr and said to himself: "Even Porr is here? It looks like something serious is about to happen."

The two elders noticed Porr and greeted him.

Porr walked up to the stone and stood beside the two elders "Elder Lot, grandfather; it looks like that you two did sense something is wrong."

"Of course, we did, Porr," Lot said.

Porr slightly frowned. "Do you know what will happen, Elder Lot?"

"Not sure, Porr, but I have a feeling that there will be a battle, and we need to prepare," Lot said as he put his hoof on the stone.

Rethyl moved to the opposite side of Lot and put his claw on the rock. "I agree with Lot. To prepare for the battle, we will receive help from this stone. As the village's most powerful defenders, we have a duty to protect this community and all of its citizens."

Porr moved to the northeastern side of the room and placed his claw on the stone. "You are right, grandfather, with the power of this stone we will be able to repel any invaders."

The rock started to shine. Three blue beams shot out from the stone and collided with the three defenders. Each of them could feel a surge of power rushing through their veins, increasing all their abilities threefold.

Meanwhile, outside of the village, two figures, one pegasus and one dragon were walking toward the cave entrance.

On the left was a tall, mean looking, bipedal dragon covered in shiny azure scales. His four horns and two wings protruded from his body like an evil being, and his jet-black hair waved in the wind.

A massive sword covered in bandages adorned his back.

The Pegasus stallion on the right had an orange coat, brown mane, and a yin yang symbol as a cutie mark. He sported black shades covering his scar stricken left eye.

As the two figures reached the entrance, the little opening in the rock face slid open, revealing two eyes.

"Who are you and what is your business?" Cross Work asked.

The dragon stretched his arm out and said: "Who we are and what we are here for is not of your concern. However, we will tell you one thing."

Cross Work's eyes squinted. "Oh, and what is it?"

The dragon smiled and stared coldly at Cross Work. "You will die."

(To Be Continued.)


	2. Chapter 2: Disaster (1)

**Chapter 2: Disaster (1)**

The dragon smiled and stared coldly at Cross Work. "You will die."

Cross Work was shocked by the words this dragon said and warned all the other guards to stay on guard. The other guards listened to Cross Work's words and raised the spears and swords towards the entrance.

The dragon fired an azure colored magic orb.

BOOM!

A massive explosion sounded out destroying the rocky entrance and shocking the guards. In the midst of the dust cloud that formed, the guards could make out two figures, and these two figures were the dragon and pegasus that have come to invade the hidden village.

Cross Work snapped out of the confusion and yelled at the other guards to attack them. The other guards managed to snap out of their confusion and did just as Cross Work had asked them to do.

They raised their weapons and charged at the two invading figures, especially the dragon. The dragon saw the oncoming guards and reached for his bandaged blade and in a split second, beheaded all the guards.

Cross Work's pupils contracted as he saw the heads of his comrades rolling on the ground with blood gushing everywhere staining the walls and the ground of the tunnel. Cross work wanted to avenge his fallen comrades, but his instincts told to get help.

The dragon looked at the pegasus and said: "That guard will get away, Durio."

"Pfft, with your speed, Azurion, you should be able to catch up with him in an instant." Durio looked at the dragon named Azurion. "But thanks for keeping one guard alive, I thought I wouldn't have any fun."

The pegasus named Durio squinted his eyes locking onto the fleeing Cross Work. In just a moment, Durio managed to catch up to Cross Work and blocked his path.

Durio then launched a kick at Cross Work's face and killed him.

Azurion looked at the corpse. "All the guards here are dead. Now to find what we came here for."

"You sure it is in this dark cave?" Durio asked.

Azurion looked towards the tunnel. "Yes, I can feel it."

The two figures then proceeded to go down the tunnel.

Back in the village, Porr, Lot, and Rethyl came out of another tunnel covered in a blue light then that blue light faded.

Porr immediately turned his head toward the tunnel leading to the entrance and heard an explosion in the distance.

"Grandfather, Elder Lot, I can hear an explosion coming from the door," Porr said.

Rethyl opened his wings getting ready to fly. "Then we have no time to waste, Porr, let's go."

Porr nodded at Rethyl's statement and began opening his wings.

"I will go down to the village and evacuate every pony and every dragon that can't fight." Lot said as he teleported towards the town.

Porr and Rethyl flew over to the cave entrance tunnel, hoping they can get to the intruders in time. After a few seconds of fast flying, they reached the entrance of the tunnel. The dragon duo saw an azure dragon and an orange pegasus coming towards them with both emitting killing intent.

"Well, who do we have here?" Azurion asked.

"Looks like two dragons, and powerful ones at that, they should be a good match for you, Azurion," Durio said while emitting more killing intent.

Azurion looked carefully at both Porr and Rethyl assessing their strength before saying: "The young dragon doesn't pose a threat to me, but that old dragon is another story."

Porr squinted his eyes. "A dragon and a pegasus, are they dangerous, Grandfather?"

"They are dangerous, especially that dragon. I do not think you can defeat him with you current power, and I am not sure about that pegasus either. Stay on your guard, Porr," Rethyl said.

Porr was shocked beyond belief, but Azurion interrupted him before he could say anything.

"What the old geezer says is correct, we are strong, but we are also both servants under the servitude of Master Muerte. Now give us the blue stone, and we might spare you." Azurion said.

"Tough luck, we won't give it to you," Rethyl said.

"Yeah, we won't give it to you," Porr said.

"Too bad. It looks like I have to—" Azurion extended his right arm "—kill you both."

Azurion fired an azure-colored magic orb towards Porr, but Rethyl surrounded Porr with his body and took the attack.

BOOM!

The magic ball exploded on Rethyl's body forming a dust cloud.

A look of worry appeared on Porr's face, and he yelled, "GRANDFATHER."

"I am fine, Porr." Rethyl got back up and shrugged off the attack.

However, just as the dust cloud settled, Porr and Rethyl only saw Azurion standing there.

"That pegasus is gone," Rethyl said.

Porr looked behind him and saw a figure zooming straight for the village. "Grandfather, I think I know where that pegasus went."

"Good, then I will leave that pegasus to you while I hold off this dragon," Rethyl said.

Porr turned around and chased after the pegasus.

"Now it is just you and me," Rethyl said to Azurion.

"I can't complain; it got annoying with those pathetic excuses of guards. Oh, by the way, that grandson of yours will never be able to defeat my partner, Durio." Azurion said.

"Don't underestimate my Porr; he should be a good match for that pegasus. Besides, he is under the influence of that blue stone." Rethyl said.

"I see, no wonder I felt an intense magic coming from you, but that won't help you now that you are up against me—" Azurion took out the blade on his back "—the Azure Dragon Champion, Azurion!"

"Well, back in the day, they called me the Demonic Dragon of Doom, my name is Rethyl!" Rethyl stared down Azurion, producing his killing intent.

The two kept staring each other down until both of them charged at the same time.

The Village.

Lot just finished evacuating all the villagers to secret tunnels below the village, while Twilight found Spike.

"Are you alright, Spike?" Twilight asked.

"I am fine, but my new friends have fled to some secret tunnel. I wonder what happened?" Spike asked.

Twilight sighed. "I don't know, Spike, but I heard an explosion somewhere."

"Maybe it has something to do with everyone heading to the secret tunnels," Spike said.

All of a sudden, Twilight and Spike heard a voice in the distance.

"There you are Princess; I have been looking everywhere for you." The voice belonged to Lot, who managed to evacuate most of the villagers.

Twilight turned toward Lot and saw that he had a few guards with him and said: "Elder Lot, what happened, why has every pony evacuated?"

Lot had a stern look on his face. "It appears that we have intruders, so while Porr and Reth took on the intruders, I evacuated the villagers so that there would be no casualties."

"Let me help, I can, in all likelihood, talk to those intruders and solve this peacefully," Twilight said.

All of a sudden, another voice could be heard. "Oh, I don't think so, we are not here for a tea party."

Twilight, Lot, and Spike turned towards the voice and saw an orange pegasus just walking towards them.

Upon further inspection, Durio noticed that Twilight had wings and a horn, and he put up his guard. He did not expect that an alicorn would be here. 'Grover never said there would be an alicorn here and judging by the color of her coat and her cutiemark; she must be Twilight Sparkle. Damn.'

Lot looked at Durio and sized him up with a cold face. "You must be the intruder, why are you here?"

Durio didn't answer Lot. Instead, he turned around and tried to kick Lot in the head, but before he could do so, Lot put up a barrier just in time negating most of the damage. Even then, he flew several feet into a cave wall with cobweb-like cracks protruding from the center of the impact.

Twilight immediately got in front of Spike and prepared to fire a beam at Durio, but before she could do so, Durio felt a hot sensation on his back. He turned around and saw a fireball coming straight for him and immediately got out of the way.

When Twilight saw the fire, she was startled as well. She looked up to find the source of the fire and, to her surprise, saw Porr flying above the ground staring at Durio.

"You did well to dodge that, but you won't be so lucky next time," Porr said.

Durio looked up at Porr with disdain. "I wondered where that fireball came from, but to think it came from you. You need to do better than that."

Porr flew down straight toward Durio while making his claws clench into a fist. "Trust me; I can do much better."

Durio saw the imminent danger and immediately flew out of the way. A few seconds after Durio flew out of the way; Porr crashed his fist into the ground where Durio once was and made a huge crater. The impact produced winds, knocking down anything that was near the crater, including Durio.

Twilight was shocked. "What a powerful punch. To think he can make a hole that big, and what is equally astonishing is the speed of that orange pegasus, he may be even faster than Rainbow Dash."

Porr flew up towards Durio while brandishing his spear, and they both did several exchanges of punches and kicks in midair before Porr landed a hit on Durio with the shaft of his spear and sent him flying into the ground

Durio got back up with a trace of blood flowing from his mouth and thought, 'Damn, I underestimated that dragon. I don't have time for this, so I need to find that blue stone quickly."

(***)

The two dragons duked it out as Rethyl fired fireballs and Azurion swung his sword. The sheer force of these blows has already turned many loose rocks into powder as numerous craters dotted the landscape. Finally, they stood at a standstill

Azurion stared at Rethyl. "You are strong, Rethyl, but that will not be enough."

"Hmpf, what do you know?" Rethyl asked.

"How about we make a bet?" Azurion asked.

"What kind of bet?" Rethyl asked.

"We will each take turns making one of each other's attacks. If I lose, I will die, but if you fail, you will die. Simple?" Azurion caught his breath and stood up like nothing happened to him at all.

Rethyl rubbed his beard. "I don't usually accept this kind of bet, but if you think you can take my ultimate attack, you have another thing coming."

"Good, I like this type of attitude, because of that, I will let you go first," Azurion said.

"Letting me go first? Aren't you overconfident." Rethyl said.

Azurion smirked coldly. "No, I will let you go first because of your attitude and power. If I go first, then you would not have a chance, as my blade will cut your scales like a hot knife through butter."

"I guess you are overconfident, but since you let me go first, I will happily oblige." Rethyl formed a white-blue flame.

As a blue fire appeared in Rethyl's mouth, the temperature of the cave had risen to a frightening degree. The heat spread far enough that the dueling Porr and Durio stopped fighting.

'This heat; will Grandfather use that attack?' Porr thought as he looked towards the direction of his grandfather's battle.

Durio looked towards where Rethyl and Azurion dueled as well and saw an enormous white-blue fireball in the distance. 'That flame is hot but not as hot as Azurion's flame. Huh, hang on, Porr is distracted, this is my chance to find that blue stone.' He then immediately flew towards an open cave.

Porr saw Durio flying towards the entrance to the cave holding the blue stone and immediately gave chase.

The white-blue fireball that Rethyl produced was ready. The ground surrounding Rethyl started to melt into lava. Usually, Azurion wouldn't mind the heat as he was a dragon, but even he could feel that this flame can be potentially dangerous.

Azurion smiled wryly. "Quite the fire breath you have there, Rethyl. I respect you even more now, but this still won't be enough."

Rethyl didn't respond to Azurion, as he fired a steady stream of white-blue flame. Just like the agreement, Azurion didn't move.

Rethyl's fire breath made contact with Azurion melting everything within its vicinity.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

A sinister laugh sounded out from the steady stream of light. Azurion stopped his breath attack showing a melted ground, but to Rethyl's dismay, Azurion seemed fine.

Azurion shrugged off the attack. "That was your ultimate attack? Pathetic! I worried over nothing."

Rethyl was shocked. "H-How is that possible? How could you withstand my ultimate attack? Even a dragon couldn't withstand that heat."

"If I explained, you would not understand it," Azurion said, "Now, take one of my attacks."

Azurion flew towards Rethyl brandishing his blade over his head and imbued it with his magic. An azure colored energy surrounded the edge as the bandages began to shine. Rethyl saw how dangerous this attack was, but due to an agreement, he needs to take the attack.

"Behold, one of my ultimate attacks, Azure Dragon Slash of Solitude," Azurion said.

When Azurion was only a few feet away from Rethyl, the azure magic locked him in place, and all he could feel was solitude, isolation from the rest of the world. Azurion's blade neared ever closer until it finally made the impact. But before it made the impact, Rethyl hardened his scales to a frightening degree.

BOOM!

The effect of Azurion's blade sunk Rethyl 30 feet into the ground and vaporized anything within the area of the azure colored bubble, and then that bubble disappeared. Azurion flew towards the edge of the crater and saw an unconscious dragon with a giant cut running from his nose to the base of his tail. A pool of blood filled the hole. Azurion then flew down towards Rethyl and checked to see if he died by taking his pulse, and to Azurion's joy, there was no pulse.

Unfortunately, Rethyl's scale hardening wasn't sufficient enough to stop the brutal blade attack.

In the far off distance, Porr felt a heavy weight on his heart and stopped his chase. He looked towards where Azurion and Rethyl battled. Like when parents separated themselves from their child and cried because something tragic happened to the child's parents, or when a lover separated from his/her lover, and that partner dies, this is what Porr felt right now.

Tears gathered in Porr's eyes as yelled at the top of his lungs. "GRANDFATHER!" Porr immediately abandoned his current task and flew towards where his grandfather had fallen. Of course, he believed that his grandfather was not dead.

Azurion walked out of the crater and turned his face towards a different looking cave.

"That cave looks suspicious. The blue stone must be there, and if everything went to plan, Durio should be heading there as well." With that said, Azurion tried to fly off in that direction, but before he could do so, he saw Porr flying towards him with unbridled rage in the corner of his eyes.

As Azurion saw Porr flying towards him, he could only sigh before saying: "That kid must have sensed the death of his grandfather so I might as well deal with him right now."

Porr arrived at the scene and saw a crater with the corpse of a dragon; this dragon was his grandfather. He hoped his grandfather would not be dead, but here he is, lying dead in a crater. Porr looked around the hole, and when he saw Azurion, his previously unbridled rage grew, even more, unrestrained.

Porr flew straight towards Azurion and brandished his spear. "YOU MURDERER, YOU KILLED GRANDFATHER!"

"I did kill your grandfather, and you are next young dragon." Azurion flew towards Porr as he reached out his claw and destroyed Porr's spear.

Porr was shocked when Azurion shattered his cherished spear, but he didn't have time to reminisce. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head as Azurion smashed him into the ground.

Porr got back up, but before he could stabilize, he saw a claw heading straight for his chest.

(To Be Continued.)


	3. Chapter 3: Disaster (2)

**Chapter 3: Disaster (2)**

Azurion's claw headed straight for Porr's Chest, and before he could react, he felt a sharp pain, coughing up blood. The nail pierced straight through his chest. Before Porr blanked, Azurion told him these words.

"You are like your grandfather, young dragon. You were no match for me."

Azurion took his claw out of Porr's chest, allowing Porr to fall to the ground unconscious. After that, Azurion flew in the direction of that cave.

Not even a minute has passed. Durio arrived at the cave, but a couple of ponies and a dragon waited for him, Twilight, Lot, and Spike.

"Oh come on, the alicorn and the elder are here?" Durio asked.

"That's right; we will never let you get that blue stone." Lot said.

Twilight whispered to Lot. "What is this blue stone you said? Why do they want it?"

Lot whispered back. "A powerful stone that boosts our power to repel powerful intruders. Unfortunately, I am not sure why they want it."

Durio heard their chat and walked up to them. "The reason we want this stone is because Master Muerte requests it. Now hoof it over or die."

As Durio came 3 feet from Lot and Twilight, Lot with the help of Twilight put up a barrier in front of them covering the width of the tunnel. Durio couldn't pass through the gate as it pushed Durio back.

"Hmph, delaying the inevitable I see," Durio sat down on the ground. "Wait until Azurion gets here. He will send you all to your grave."

Lot and Twilight both looked confused when they saw Durio sit down on the ground. It was so casual like he did not have any fear, even when both of them could attack him outright.

After a few moments of silence, Twilight walked up to the barrier. "I would like to ask a few questions."

Spike had a worried look on his face when he saw what Twilight planned to do. "Umm, Twilight, maybe we shouldn't be asking questions. If what the pegasus says is correct, we may be in big trouble."

"You do not have to worry about anything, Spike. I will only ask a few questions about who this Muerte fellow is and his plot." Twilight looked at Spike and gave him a wink, before looking at Durio again.

Durio heard what Twilight said to Spike, so he put on a smile and said: "You can ask me questions if you want. At least, this way, I won't be bored."

Twilight gave a slight nod. "First question, what is your name?"

"Durio," Durio said.

Twilight continued. "Who is Muerte?"

Durio gave a confident smile. "Master Muerte is the leader of our organization. He's a being of vast might and power; his magic has no equal; even Celestia is powerless in front of him. However, if you want to know what he is or what he is plotting, I cannot answer that."

"Why not?" Twilight asked again.

"He always appears as a black orb with glowing red eyes, other than that; I have no idea. And about his plot, it would be stupid of me to tell you." Durio said.

Twilight looked down as she put her hoof on her chin then looked at Durio again. "You make a good point, however…."

The horn on Twilights head began to glow with magic. Twilight saw the corner of a piece of paper, and she used her magic to take it.

Durio saw what happened, and he couldn't help but feel worried. He desperately tried to grab that piece of paper, but Twilight's teleportation was slightly faster.

A look of worry appeared on Durio's face as he desperately attempted to break down the barrier that Twilight and Lot made. "Give that back. The content of that paper is not for you to see."

On the piece of paper Twilight acquired, were the words "Master Muerte's Evil Plot Instructions," and below those words were these steps:

1\. Get the Blue Stone

2\. Bring Back the Blue Stone

3\. Wait for the others to get the other artifacts

4\. Unseal Master Muerte

Twilight looked at the paper and then gave it back to Durio. "I was right. That piece of paper had some of Muerte's plan."

Durio received the piece of paper and immediately put it back in his hair. Afterward, he tried to sit down, but he was interrupted by a violent wind. He immediately knew who caused that wind.

A tall figure stood at the entrance of the tunnel. Throughout the tunnel, the tall figure's pressure permeated. Twilight, Spike, and Lot sweated buckets, and they felt that they couldn't breathe. Even Durio sweated buckets, but he wasn't suffocating like the others.

Durio looked at Twilight. "Ahahahaha, you are in for it now."

Durio then looked back at Azurion. "Hey, Azurion, our path is blocked by a barrier, what should we do."

Azurion began to stroll towards the wall, each step bringing tremendous pressure as the space around him shook violently.

In just a few moments, Azurion finally reached the gate, and with a wave of his claw he said, "Break."

The moment he said that word, the wall forcefully disappeared. The three figures felt the full brunt of his pressure and suffocated even more.

Twilight, Lot, and Spike swallowed some saliva when they saw Azurion coming towards them.

Azurion stopped his movements and lessened his pressure as his eyes came upon Twilight. "Hmmm, to think that there is an alicorn here. Whatever, she won't be able to hinder our plans."

As Azurion was about to walk past Twilight, Lot appeared in front of him. The anger on his face was evident. "What did you do to Rethyl?"

Azurion looked down and saw Lot trying to size him up.

"Rethyl is dead," Azurion said

'Rethyl is dead.' These words flooded Lot's mind as if a bomb had gone off. He couldn't comprehend what Azurion said as he just knelt on the ground and muttered: "Impossible… Impossible… Impossible; Rethyl can't be dead, it is just impossible."

It wasn't only Lot who was affected; Twilight was also shocked by this revelation. Spike could only sympathize with them.

Azurion beckoned Durio as the two invaders continued down the tunnel.

Azurion stopped again and looked back at the oppressed group. His face was indifferent. "Rethyl isn't the only one who is dead. His grandson that dragon fledgling is also dead."

As if the news of Rethyl's death was not enough, Azurion added more fuel to the fire and claimed that he killed Porr as well. Elder Lot fell into deeper despair, and Twilight started to cry when she heard that her newest friend was dead. Even Spike had tears building up in eye sockets.

Azurion turned his head around again and headed deeper into the tunnel with Durio.

Spike saw Twilight sobbing and tried to comfort her. He sucked up his tears and told her that Porr might not be dead.

Twilight tried to believe it, but Azurion's words dominated her mind.

(*****)

Thirty seconds before Azurion and Durio went down the tunnel toward the blue stone; Porr laid down on the cold ground. Inside his head, he heard a majestic and ancient voice.

"Wake up, child," the ancient and majestic voice said.

Porr's woke up, but he wasn't in the cave, darkness surrounded him. He was in his subconsciousness.

Porr had a confused look on his face. "Am I dead?"

"No, child, you aren't dead," the voice said.

Porr crossed his legs. "Who or what are you?"

"When you get stronger and search for my tomb, then you will know what I am," the voice said

Porr put his claw over the chest wound. "What about the injury on my chest?"

"That wound is not fatal. You will live," the voice said.

"How about you send me back. I need to avenge my grandfather," Porr said.

"As you are right now, you will die if you face your attacker again," the voice said.

Porr showed frustration on his face. "I can't sit around here and wait to heal."

"Okay, I will send you back right now. However, you shouldn't pick fights with those who could kill you quickly." the voice said.

The blackness around Porr started to crumble as he felt a pulling sensation. Before he became conscious, the voice said its name.

"Remember, child, my name is Vanlith." the voice said one last time as it faded away.

Porr opened his eyes as he felt the cold, hard ground beneath him. Struggling to stand up, Porr placed all his remaining strength in his arms as he pushed upwards. The blood was dripping from his chest and his mouth. Yet, he wasn't worried.

Now that he had stood up, he turned towards the corpse of his deceased grandfather. "Grandfather, I will get stronger so I can avenge you. I will make Azurion regret sparing me and kill him with my two claws."

Porr turned away as he spread his wings and flew towards the tunnel with the blue stone and thought, 'I hope that Lot, Twilight, and Spike are alright.'

(To be continued.)


	4. Chapter 4: Transformation

**Chapter 4: Transformation**

Two figures walked through the wet, bioluminescent tunnel in hopes of finding the blue stone. One was a dragon, and the other was a pegasus.

These two figures were precisely Azurion and Durio.

"How much longer, Azurion?" Durio asked, putting on a tired face.

Azurion looked towards Durio. "Not much longer, I can feel it even more now. We should be getting closer."

All of a sudden, Azurion and Durio stopped moving and in front of them were two tunnels, one left and one right.

Durio pointed at the left tunnel. "I say we go left."

Azurion raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"

Durio looked at Azurion with a confused look. "Haven't you seen the movies? It is always left."

"You're wrong, it is right," Azurion said, walking right.

Durio looked happy and walked towards the left tunnel. "So we do go left, I knew it."

Azurion looked at the orange pegasus who walked left and grabbed him. "Right tunnel."

"Why are you grabbing me if you agree?" Durio asked.

Azurion kept his straight face. "The left tunnel is not the right way; we need to go right. Besides, the power is coming from the right passage."

"Of course, the left tunnel is not the right way, left and right are opposites," Durio said, "Why did you have to state the obvious?"

The azure dragon let out a little "ugh" sound and walked off into the right tunnel with Durio in his claws.

(*****)

Back near the entrance to the main tunnel, Twilight, Spike, and Lot were still in denial over Rethyl's and Porr's deaths.

If one were to step in the tunnel right now, they would be able to feel the gloom that covered the area. However, this sadness didn't last long.

Twilight looked towards the tunnel. "We can't keep sobbing here feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to go after them."

Upon hearing the lavender alicorn, Lot and Spike regained their spirits.

Lot looked towards Twilight with confidence. "You're right, Princess."

Confidence filled Spike but was later replaced by grief. "What do you mean go after them? They are both unyielding, and that pressure earlier made us suffocate."

Lot rubbed his beard. "You have a good point, Spike, but I have a plan."

With that said, the old unicorn told the two others his plan.

After Lot explained his plan, Twilight slightly nodded in agreement. "This is a good idea. I agree."

Spike also nodded in agreement. "I have a part in this plan, so I agree as well."

Lot smirked and looked towards the tunnel. "Since we are all in agreement, we will begin in a couple of minutes. The path to the blue stone is relatively long with quite a few obstacles, so it will take a while for them to reach it."

Twilight and Spike nodded in unison, and all three of them started to walk down the tunnel. However, a familiar voice rang and stopped them from moving further.

"I am glad... you guys are... alright." the voice said.

Lot, Twilight, and Spike turned their heads, and when they identified who the voice belonged to, they couldn't hold in their joy.

Lot was the first to react. "Porr, I am so happy you are alive."

"Hehe, sorry for the inconvenience," Porr said.

Lot glanced at the injured dragon's wounds. "Did Azurion give you those wounds? Will you be okay?"

The pain in Porr's voice showed the severity of his wounds. "I will... be fine, Elder Lot. Do you have any of those special herbs with you?" Porr asked.

"No, we used them up quite a while ago as medicine," Lot said, shaking his head.

"That is too bad," Porr said. "I hoped to fight that pegasus again."

" That is good, but you should understand that those herbs do not heal wounds," Lot said.

"I know," Porr said.

Twilight listened in on their conversation, before walking up to them. "What is this herb you speak of?"

"It's an extraordinary herb used for increasing the production rate of endorphins. It is called an endorphin herb." Lot said.

Twilight lit up her horn and rummaged through her bag. "Oh, I have some of those."

Lot jumped in surprise. "What did you say?"

The lavender alicorn took out some plants which had a green stem with red petals. A white lightning mark covered each petal.

"This is great, with those herbs, I can stop my pain," Porr said, smiling with delight.

Porr grabbed one of the herbs and stuffed it in his mouth. The moment he swallowed the grass, the effect of it went straight into his brain. Porr's brain received new instructions and produced more endorphins. Although the wounds did not heal, the pain and fatigue that had plagued Porr disappeared.

Porr no longer wobbled and stood straight. "Now that the pain and fatigue are gone, I am ready to fight."

"That is good, but do not go too far," Lot said. "Oh yeah, is Rethyl alive?"

Porr closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh, so that's how it is," Lot said, tears forming in his eyes.

Porr sighed as memories of his grandfather flowed through his mind. "Do you have a plan, Elder Lot?"

"I do, but since you are here, I would have to change it."

Lot told the young dragon his current plan and decided to make a new scheme. After a few moments, the old unicorn made preparations as he, and the rest of the group walked down the tunnel. Since Lot and Porr knew a few shortcuts, they arrived at the blue stone chamber before the two invaders.

Lot laid down some formation spells, Spike got into position near the entrance and disappeared thanks to Twilight's invisibility spell, and Porr prepared a makeshift spear. All of this was to stop the invaders from achieving their goal.

"Your formation spells are quite good, even better than mine," Twilight said, the look on her face filled with awe.

"You flatter me, Princess," Lot said.

While Porr finished his stone spear, he sensed the arrival of the two invaders and gestured to the others.

The two intruders walked out and noticed the three protectors.

"My my, how did they get ahead of us"-Azurion said, glancing at each of the protectors until his eyes landed on Porr-"And there is one dragon I didn't think I would see for a while."

The moment Azurion said that line, Porr furrowed his brows and let out a quiet growl. However, the others were silent.

Azurion took a few steps releasing some pressure, but it wasn't long until the formation that Lot laid down spring into action.

The azure dragon sensed something was off as he glanced down below his feet; a circle 16 ft. in diameter glowed. He then glanced up as another similar ring glowed. Bars made of magic surrounded the azure dragon.

Twilight signaled to Spike and became visible. The baby dragon breathed fire onto the formation, making it tougher.

"A 'Dragon Capturing Formation Spell'? Durio!" Azurion said, signaling to Durio.

Durio understood what Azurion nodded and walked towards Porr. "To think that I would face you again, Porr."

Porr stood up and brandished his spear. "It won't be like last time. I may be injured, but you are still no match for me."

"Is that so? It looks like I have to use that." Durio said, turning his head towards Azurion. "Do I have permission?"

Azurion knew what his partner was talking about, on his face was a smirk. "Go wild."

Durio smiled, turning his head toward Porr. "You should consider yourself lucky."

A large magic fluctuation The color of his fur, mane, and eyes changed from orange to black and white. One side was white, and one side was black.

Twilight sensed the magic fluctuation as a shocked look was evident on her face. "I didn't think a pegasus could do that."

Although she wanted to stop the transformed pegasus, she couldn't, as she needed to keep the formation up with Lot.

Durio has finished his transformation, smirking at the confused dragon. "This is my second form. It boosts my strength, speed, and stamina to a frightening level."

Durio disappeared then reappeared in front of Porr, delivering a kick. However, before the kick landed, Porr wasn't in that spot anymore.

The vermilion dragon reappeared beside Durio and launched a flying fist attack. The attack fell, and Durio's face met with the ground. However, Durio got up, and not a single wound was on him.

The surprise was evident on Porr's face. His attack didn't work, even though he put in 100% of his power. It was then that Porr figured out, Durio would be a tough opponent.

"I am going to end this now," Durio said.

Durio disappeared again and reappeared in front of Porr, but Porr couldn't react as the black & white pegasus was faster than last time. The hoof landed on Porr's chest wound with formidable power and launched him into a cave wall. The vermilion dragon coughed up more blood as he struggled to stand.

Durio neared the blue stone, but before he could touch it, a spear appeared beside him. Naturally, he kicked it out of the way. He turned towards where Porr was and sensed something was off.

Porr disappeared again, but this time not beside Durio. He reappeared for a moment grabbing the blue stone and going again. He reappeared again away from Durio.

"Please help me defeat this foe, blue stone. Please give me the power." Porr said, gritting his teeth.

The blue stone flashed as a surge of power entered the dragon's body, healing his wounds. A few gold streaks appeared on his scales and his eyes as well. This transformation shocked everyone present except for Azurion.

"The magic emanating from Porr is intense," Twilight said

"You got that right, Princess," Lot said, "It's even on par with Durio's magic."

"H... H... How is this possible? You shouldn't have that much magic power!" Durio said, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Porr shoved the blue stone in a bag and walked towards Durio. "Oh, it's possible, Durio. With my wounds healed and my power at full strength, I will defeat you."

Durio got into a fighting stance. "Hmpf, we shall see."

Both of them charged at each other. Porr coated his claw in a golden glow as his fist headed towards Durio. The black & white pegasus couldn't spot the fist coming towards him, but he did sense something dangerous.

BOOM.

The gold-coated fist collided with Durio's hoof. The magic that emanated from the collision spread throughout the chamber and shook everything. At the end of the exchange, both fighters smashed into a wall.

Durio coughed up blood and spoke to himself. "What power, even in my transformed state, I won't be able to defeat him. I guess I have no choice but to call on Azurion."

Durio gestured to the trapped dragon. He understood Durio's gesture and stood. Twilight and Lot noticed his movements as a hint of worry appeared on their faces. Azurion lifted his leg and smashed it down causing cracks to appear, destroying the formation.

Lot was the first to react. "Not good."

Twilight was the next to react. "What do we do?"

Azurion didn't give them time to speak more as he pushed them into a wall. He then proceeded towards Porr. The transformed dragon noticed Azurion as he froze in place. Back then; the voice warned him that he was no match for Azurion, even in his current form.

"If you stayed down, young dragon, you injuries would have recovered in a few months," Azurion said, reaching out his arm. "But you had to come here and fight again. For that, I will take your left arm."

The moment Azurion grabbed Porr's left arm, the power in the frozen dragon's body disappeared. With a small tugging motion, he ripped off Porr's left arm. Since the painkiller was still in effect, he didn't feel it much. Afterward, he grabbed the bag beside Porr and walked over to Durio.

"I have the artifact," Azurion said, "We can leave this place."

Durio agreed with his partner as they both left through the cave ceiling.

A few moments after they left, Porr's painkiller wore off. The pain was unbearable to him. Before he passed out, he noticed Twilight and Lot calling out to him.

(To Be Continued.)


	5. Chapter 5: Trouble

**Chapter 5: Trouble**

It had been fifteen days since the village invasion.

Inside a hospital, in Canterlot, Porr slept on a bed. Bandages covered his left shoulder. Twilight sat by his side, waiting for him to awaken.

Porr's eyes trembled as he struggled to open them. As he awoke, he turned his head towards a resting alicorn. He signaled to Twilight, hoping to ask where he is. Twilight woke up and noticed Porr staring at her.

"You're awake?" Twilight asked, covering her mouth with her hoof.

"Yeah, is this a hospital? What happened to the village? Where is Elder Lot?" Porr had some questions to ask Twilight.

"I'll explain everything later. Right now, you need more rest."

"Whatever you say."

However, just as Porr closed his eyes, he noticed the door opening.

A nurse walked into the room, carrying some tools. She told Porr it was time for his daily check-up and asked Twilight to leave for a few minutes. Twilight left, reassuring Porr that the check-ups are not dangerous. Of course, 'worry' is not in his dictionary.

Twilight sat outside the room as she noticed some hoof steps. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane walked towards Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight," the cyan pegasus said.

"Rainbow Dash, you made it," Twilight said, smiling.

"So, how's the dragon?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He just woke up a minute ago," Twilight said, "Where are the others?"

"Pinkie Pie and the rest didn't have the time to visit, so I am the only one," Rainbow said.

The door to Porr's room opened as the nurse finished the check-up. She nodded towards Twilight and Rainbow Dash signaling them that they may view him again. They walked through the door and found Porr eating some gems.

Rainbow Dash met with Porr for the first time, commenting on how robust he was. She also understood the circumstances of how the dragon lost his arm, the death of his grandfather, and the two invaders. In fact, when she learned of a pegasus using a spell, she didn't believe it.

Rainbow Dash scanned him again. "So you're Porr? My name is Rainbow Dash. Twilight told me about you, though, this is the first time I have met you."

Porr finished the gem he had in his mouth. "Nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash."

"Likewise," she said.

Porr grabbed another gem. "Oh yeah, Twilight, What happened to my arm?"

"Azurion ripped it off and kept it," Twilight said.

"That jerk," Porr said, his eyes filled with anger.

After a few minutes of talking, Twilight and Rainbow left the room.

Now that Porr was awake, Twilight started to research on Muerte. Twilight searched the Canterlot Library but found nothing. The lavender alicorn also asked Celestia, but even she had never heard of Muerte. After hours of finding information on the mysterious villain, she stopped.

The next day, the hospital discharged Porr. As he walked out, he found Twilight pondering about something.

"Hey Twilight, you thinking of something?" Porr asked.

Twilight clicked out of her thoughts and turned towards Porr. "Oh, you've been discharged? That's great. And yes, I have been trying to research on Muerte."

Porr widened his eyes. "Find anything?"

Twilight shook her head. "Nothing, it's like he doesn't exist."

"Now that the hospital discharged me, is it okay for me to stay in Ponyville for a while."

"Of course, but why a while? You Going back to the village?" Twilight asked.

"No, I need to search for a tomb," Porr said, shaking his head.

Twilight furrowed her brows. "A grave? Whose?"

"Heard of Vanlith?" Porr asked.

"Can't say I have," she said, "Yet, another unknown name. So, when are you leaving?"

"A couple of days. I want to acquaint with every pony in Ponyville."

Twilight nodded, and the two began to go on the train to Ponyville, but before that, Porr bought a cloak to cover his missing arm.

Rainbow Dash and the others waited at the station. When the train arrived, a cloaked dragon walked out the door, surprising every pony present. The sight of the dragon didn't shock Rainbow Dash, though, as she had already met him.

A white unicorn with a purple mane noticed Porr first. "Is that the dragon Twilight talked about the other day? He's pretty handsome, but I can't say the same for his fashion sense."

An orange pony with a blonde mane noticed his cloak. "Why does he have a cloak?"

"Probably to hide his missing arm," Rainbow said.

Porr noticed Rainbow Dash and walked up to her with Twilight. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." Porr then glanced at the other ponies, finally looking at Twilight. "These must be the rest of your friends, Twilight."

Twilight nodded. "That's right; these are my friends: Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash whom you know."

"Nice to meet you all. What about Spike, where is he?" Porr asked.

"He's in the castle," Twilight said, "How about we have some lunch?"

Porr and the ponies agreed with Twilight, and they both headed to Fluttershy's cottage.

(*****)

Several days ago, on an island off the coast of Equestria, two figures landed. They were Azurion and Durio, who have come back from the mission. A massive door appeared in front of them. Stationed at the gate were a few guards.

They noticed the returning figures and opened the door. Inside was a small palace. It wasn't long until they reached another gate. Inside that doorway was an elevator that leads underground.

A few seconds was all it took.

They got out of the elevator as both went different ways. They were in one grand, dark room with passageways to different areas.

A feminine voice called out to Azurion. "Hahahahahaha, so you've returned. Was the mission successful?"

Azurion knew who it was and said, "Limona."

A dark gray unicorn walked out from the shadows, behind her were some rotting corpses. "I asked if the mission was successful."

"You don't have to worry; our master will be pleased."

Limona and Azurion chatted for a while, but it wasn't long until their master summoned them.

Azurion walked through a dragon marked door and Limona; a unicorn marked door. Azurion came out of the passageway and found himself in another big room. The room had a giant table in the center, torches illuminating five halls. On the center of the table, a black orb rotated and hummed.

Next to Azurion, were Limona and Durio. The opposite of him was an earth pony and a cyborg griffon. These five figures made up the main force of the organization, the Bloody Five.

After a few moments, the black orb rotated faster, and a dark energy seeped out. The evil power made its way to the top of the sphere as two red eyes appeared. These eyes gave everyone a chill.

They all bowed and shouted in unison. "MASTER!"

Surprisingly, this power belonged to Muerte, the mysterious villain.

"You have all arrived," Muerte said, staring at Azurion. "Azurion, do you have the stone?"

Azurion grabbed the bag by his side and lifted it above his head. "It is within this pack, Master."

"Good." Muerte used the energy to surround the bag, picking up the stone. As the power enveloped the stone, it turned from a blue color to a red color.

"You have done well, Azurion," Muerte said.

Azurion did not reply and bowed there.

Muerte turned his eyes, staring at Limona. "Limona, have you found the Crystal Heart?"

"I asked my undead scout earlier, but it hasn't found... Nevermind. My scout just messaged me; It has found the Crystal Heart." Limona said, not daring to stare into her master's eyes.

"Excellent. Where is it?" Muerte asked.

"The Crystal Empire," Limona said.

"Alright, I will give the task to you and Robusto," Muerte said.

Limona and the pony named Robusto lifted their heads. "YES, MASTER!"

After that, Muerte adjourned the meeting and went back inside the orb. Now that the meeting was over, the Bloody Five left the chamber.

The semi-mechanical griffon walked up to Azurion. "Congratulations on the mission." Then he turned towards Durio. "Durio, you seem to be hurt, why don't you come to my lab?"

Durio's face showed disgust and anger. "Stay away from me, Grover, I don't want to be your lab rat. Besides, I can heal on my own."

"Suit yourself," Grover said, walking to his lab.

"Wait up, Grover," Azurion said, stopping the cyborg in his tracks.

"What do you want?" Grover asked.

"I have a gift for you." Azurion took out a severed arm from a bag.

When Grover saw the arm, he grew ecstatic. "Oooooh, a severed arm? You shouldn't have."

"You kept that? Gross," Durio said.

"You all sound like your having fun," Limona said, walking to the others with Robusto. "I want you to understand that we are leaving tomorrow morning."

"Good luck," Azurion said.

Time flew by, and three of the Bloody Five went to their respective areas.

(*****)

Back in the present, in Twilight's Castle, Porr laid down on the ground. Bored out of his mind, he rose up to find Twilight.

CRASH.

The door to the castle opened. Two alarmed guards appeared rushing in to find Twilight, but all they found was Porr.

"Excuse me, Mr. Dragon, do you know where Princess Twilight is?" one of the guards asked.

"Yeah, she's at the back. Why?" Porr said, putting his claw under his snout.

"There's no time to explain," the guard said, running towards the room where Twilight was.

Twilight heard the commotion as the two guards found her.

"What is it, guards?" Twilight asked.

"Grave news, Princess," The guards said. "The Crystal Empire is under attack..."


	6. Chapter 6: Undead Army

**Chapter 6: Undead Army**

"What did you say?" Twilight asked.

The guards had a messy look. "The Crystal Empire is under attack."

Twilight widened her eyes. "By what? Changelings?"

"No, it appears to be a horde of undead," the guards said.

Twilight squinted her eyes. "Undead? As in zombies and skeletons?"

"Exactly." the guards said.

After that, Twilight ran out of the castle as Porr followed her. She called out to her friends, telling them that the Crystal Empire is in danger. When they learned of an undead army, Rarity, Spike, and Fluttershy refused. Only Rainbow Dash and Applejack agreed.

Changelings were one thing, but zombies are a whole new ball game. They could not feel pain and were stronger than most. When combined with skeletons, ghouls, and ghosts, an undead horde is terrifying.

(*****)

A few minutes ago, on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire, a dark gray unicorn appeared. Behind her, an army of undead followed. Within the swarm were zombies, skeletons, and ghouls. At least, there were no ghosts.

Flash Century spotted the advancing army from the main entrance. "Bad news. Quickly, inform the Princesses."

The guards under him nodded and sent messenger birds to each of the kingdoms.

Flash Century was not sure on what to do next. He has never experienced an undead army. He could only wait and stare in worry.

(*****)

Back at Ponyville, The train conductor canceled all trips to the Crystal Empire. Twilight and her friends had no choice but to fly there. Since Applejack can't fly, she jumped on Porr's back.

It didn't take long to reach the Crystal Empire which had a barrier. With the cruising speeds of Twilight, Rainbow, and Porr, they entered the empire in a few hours. However, by the time they got there, the undead army was at its border.

Twilight and the others gazed at the swarm, their eyes showing signs of worry.

"This is bad," Twilight said. "I hope Flash Century is okay."

"That's a lot of zombies," Rainbow said, widening her eyes.

"No kidding, can we hold 'em off?" Applejack asked.

"Not sure, but we can try," Porr said, reassuring every pony.

They landed at the main entrance which had the most guards, and when they saw Twilight, despair turned into hope.

"Princess Twilight is here!" one guard said.

"We may have a chance," another guard said.

Flash Century walked out of a building as his gaze landed on Twilight. He then proceeded to hug her "Twilight; I am glad you're here."

Twilight hugged back. "Of course, Flash, but I don't have the time to hang with you, I have to see my sister-in-law."

Flash Century nodded. "I understand. I need to defend the city. We can talk more after this is over."

Twilight let go of Flash Century. "Yeah."

Rainbow turned to leave with Applejack. "While you are visiting your sis-in-law, Applejack and I will find some ponies who can't evacuate."

"And I will stay here to guard the entrance," Porr said, smiling confidently. "I may have one arm, but I can still fight."

Flash Century nodded as the others left for their respective duties.

Flash wanted to discuss strategy with Porr, but the dragon said that there is no need for an approach.

Porr grabbed a spare spear and raised his voice. "Listen up! We are dealing with a necromancer. I will go out of the barrier and find the caster. If I can take it out, the army should fall as well."

"We understand, but none of us can go out of the barrier without Prince Shining Armor's permission," Flash said.

"Permission? Don't worry about that." Porr walked up to the force field, placing his right claw. With a simple motion, a tear formed in it and created a hole big enough for the dragon. When the guards saw this, their jaws hit the floor.

Porr walked through the hole, coming face to face with an entire army of undead.

(*****)

Meanwhile, Twilight arrived at the castle. She found her sister-in-law but didn't find her brother.

"Where is my brother?" Twilight asked, hugging Cadence.

Cadence hugged Twilight back. "He's okay, just guarding the Crystal Heart."

Twilight released Cadence and walked to a window. "That's good. Do you know why there is an undead army?"

"Not sure, but I think it has something to do with the Crystal Heart," Cadence said, "Which is why my husband is guarding it. Oh yeah, I know what we are up against this time."

"You do?" Twilight asked.

Cadence nodded and looked dangerous. "Necromancy."

Twilight's eyes widened. "You mean the forbidden dark magic capable of raising the dead? That explains the zombies."

"Yeah. I don't think the border can hold out long." Cadence said, worrying about the outcome if they destroyed the empire.

"Don't worry sis, I brought a dragon to help us," Twilight said.

(*****)

Meanwhile, Rainbow and Applejack found some ponies who couldn't evacuate, but while they did that, they felt the ground shaking. Heavy hoof steps sounded out like an earthquake, moving everything. The two ponies looked at where the noise was and spotted a big earth pony.

The earth pony was brown. His eyes showed clarity and his demeanor calm. If one were to set their eyes on him, they would mistake him for a friendly giant. However, he is of the Bloody Five, a group who wouldn't flinch at the sight of death.

Besides the earth pony, corpses littered the street. Guards and civilians alike, no longer breathing. Rainbow's & Applejack's gazes met his. Killing intent leaked out of the big earth pony, shocking the two friends.

Rainbow built up her courage. "Who are you?"

"My name is Robusto, of the Bloody Five." A deep voice sounded out of Robusto's mouth.

"Bloody Five?" Applejack asked, confusion evident on her face.

"Yes, five individuals with power beyond your comprehension," Robusto said, releasing more killing intent. "But enough talking, I need to kill you now."

Rainbow and Applejack sweated at Robusto's words. Although they didn't mind fighting, this battle was unavoidable.

(*****)

Back at the entrance, Porr faced many undead creatures. Wielding his spear, he walked to the nearest zombie. Suddenly, A hole appeared in the head of that zombie.

Porr did not move his arm, yet a puncture wound emerged in the zombie's head. How did this happen? The guards couldn't see the movement, neither did Flash.

The zombie fell and turned to dust. Porr brandished his spear again, but this time, he disappeared. Appearing again, several feet from his original position, the first group of zombies behind him had holes in their head and turned to dust.

He puffed up his chest and released a searing blue flame, stopping the zombie advance. He disappeared again as puncture wounds showed up on their heads. Wherever his spear went, tens of zombies turned to dust. It wasn't a fight; it was a slaughter.

On her seat, Limona noticed the zombies turning to dust. She woke up, detecting an occasional flash in the distance.

"What's going on?" she asked.

A zombie walked towards Limona. "My Lady, someone is killing the zombies. He's too fast; they can't react."

"Who cares, just stop him," she said, anger appearing in her eyes.

"Yes, My Lady," the zombie said.

Zombies and skeletons turned to dust left and right. Porr's speed is too fast for the undead. However, his momentum stopped. Five ghouls who were stronger than the other zombies appeared in front of him, pushing him back. Porr's instincts told him that these ghouls would be tough opponents.

His arm flickered. A spear shot out and reached the first ghoul's head, killing it.

"Just a bunch of corpses, nothing more and nothing less," Porr said, smiling coldly at the ghouls. "I will slaughter you all."

Porr moved fast, reaching the second ghoul. His claws clenched into a fist. As the punch made contact, the head of the ghoul splattered, turning it into dust. He didn't stop there. His leg made contact with the ground as he launched a kick at the next ghoul. That demon turned to dust as well.

His tail grabbed the spear on the ground. With a quick motion, the spear flung towards the remaining ghouls. The weapon was too fast for them to react and they turned to dust as well.

Porr then turned his head, his gaze resting on a unicorn sitting high. He figured that she was the one behind this and rushed towards her.

Limona sensed him coming, putting up a barrier around herself. It took only a few seconds for Porr to reach her. When he arrived, he swung the spear towards the force field.

Lightning crackled as the spear and barrier met. Although the spear was powerful, the force field was stronger and shattered the weapon.

A look of disbelief showed on Porr's face.

Limona got a good glance of the dragon and realized something. "Aren't you the dragon who got wrecked by Azurion?"

"You know Azurion?" Porr asked.

"Of course, we are comrades," Limona said. "He and I are part of a group called the Bloody Five."

Porr widened his eyes. "Bloody Five?"

"Yes, however, I don't have time to play with you," Limona said as her horn glowed. "I will let you play with my toys instead."

As her horn glowed, six claws appeared. Porr looked down and found three armored dragons, with weapons, rising from the ground. These dragons did not have the features of the other zombies. They were complete, with no rotting flesh.

Porr stared at three dragons. Only two words came to his mind: 'Restoration Spell.'

The first dragon wielded a sword, the second a bow, and the third a ball & chain.

Limona then ordered her zombies to take her to the city. Porr tried to attack, but the three dragons blocked him.

Porr sighed. "I guess I need to take out these guys first."

(To Be Continued.)


	7. Chapter 7: Unexpected Enemy

**Chapter 7: Unexpected Enemy**

The three restored dragons blocked Porr.

Porr squinted his eyes as he looked at the three dragons. "That armor and those weapons, aren't you the three famous dragon generals that fought with Celestia numerous times?"

"Someone has done their homework," the sword dragon said, "We are precisely them."

Porr widened his eyes as a hint of praise emerged. "I have always wanted to meet you, Lord Schwert, Lord Bogen, and Lord Flegel. I have heard of your military exploits."

Schwert unsheathed his sword. "We appreciate your flattery, but we need to stop you. Although we do not wish to hurt you, we have our orders."

"Whatever, I will find a way to free you from this spell!" Porr said, charging at the enemy.

Bogen took three arrows and drew his bow. The projectiles flew towards Porr while Schwert brandished his sword. Flegal did not attack as he waited for an opportunity.

Porr noticed these attacks and reacted. Clenching his claw into a fist, he ignored Bogen's arrows and aimed at Schwert.

Realizing that these dragons weren't as powerful as Azurion, he raised his arm as he was confident in his defense. However, he underestimated the dragon trio.

Schwert's sword landed and pushed Porr back. A deep cut appeared on the vermilion dragon's arm.

He glanced at the wound. "Huh, how did he injure me?"

The three arrows that Bogen fired hit Porr. Like the sword, these arrows penetrated deeply into his legs, surprising him. However, he couldn't rest yet.

Flegal finally launched his weapon. As the spiked iron ball closed in, the vermilion dragon tried to dodge, but he was too slow. The arrows in his legs impeded his movement.

The ball struck, sending him flying across the field. Coughing up blood, he struggled to stand. Blood leaked down his arm, legs, chest, and mouth.

"How do I defeat them?" Porr said, taking out the arrows. "Why are their weapons so powerful? Guess I need to use that."

Porr reached into a pocket on his torn cloak, pulling out a herb. This herb was the same grass he used back in the village. He didn't waste any time and immediately scoffed it into his mouth. The endorphins in his brain increased as the pain disappeared.

Since Porr can't dodge with his legs, he opened his wings. With a loud shout, the injured dragon charged at the enemy.

(*****)

At the main entrance, the guards saw a seat coming towards them. A dark gray unicorn sat on top as an increasing amount of undead followed suite.

Flash Century's body chilled. "Did Porr fail? Why is the enemy commander here?"

"A bunch of guards? A barrier? It will take more than that to stop me," Limona said, assessing the protection.

Her horn glowed. Ghouls whom Porr did not massacre walked up to the barrier. They repeatedly kicked the force field, cracking it and scaring the guards.

The guards put up their spears and became more confident.

With only a few hits, the barrier shattered. Hundreds of zombies poured through, overwhelming the guards.

"Don't be afraid! Do what Porr did and aim for their heads," Flash said.

After hearing Flash's speech, the guards pointed their weapons at the zombie's heads. The moment they did so, those zombies turned to dust.

Limona noticed her zombies turning to dust. "Tch, that damned dragon. He showed the weakness of my undead. No matter, I will let them play with one of my toys."

Limona's horn glowed again. This time, a pegasus rose from the ground. He had the armor of a guard captain. His face filled with scars as a massive aura emanated. A flashy emblem shined from the sun. Flash Century widened his eyes as he recognized who this guard was.

Flash panicked. "No way… it can't be, why is Captain Artibus here?"

"Captain Artibus? As in the 'Miracle Tactician' Captain Artibus?" one guard asked.

Flash nodded. "One of the greatest tacticians in history, his tactics have won many battles and is second only to that fellow. Not to mention, he has incredible combat senses as well."

"Some pony has done their homework," Limona said. "He is precisely that tactician."

Artibus' eyes opened as he spoke, "Hmm? Where am I?"

"Artibus," Limona said, making him turn his body. "I command you to destroy these weaklings and support Robusto afterward."

He kneeled. "As you wish, Lady Limona."

Limona let out a faint smile and ordered her zombies. "Take me to the Crystal Heart near the center of the city."

The zombies listened to Limona and trotted off towards the center.

(*****)

"Boom."

Rainbow and Applejack barely dodged a powerful kick. Panting, they struggled to get up.

"We can't defeat him, AJ," Rainbow said.

"Ya said it, Rainbow," Applejack said. "Ah guess we need to lure him away and wait for Twilight or Porr."

With that said, Rainbow and Applejack ran away, while Robusto followed.

(*****)

In the castle, Twilight paced back and forth, thinking of a way to solve this problem. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Cadence moved towards the exit of the room. "We will wait to see how things play out. Right now, I sense that my husband is in danger."

"I will go with you. I have a bad premonition about Flash and my friends," Twilight said, worry filling her eyes.

Cadence nodded, and they both left the room.

After a few minutes, Cadence and Twilight reached Crystal Heart. Standing in front of the crystal was a white unicorn wearing shiny armor.

Twilight called out in the distance. "Big Brother!"

Shining Armor turned and found Twilight. "Twily, I am glad you are safe."

Twilight hugged her big brother and immediately inquired what the situation was. Although hints of worry appeared on Shining Armor's face, Twilight and Cadence reassured him by explaining that a dragon was helping them.

"A dragon? That is good to he–"

"Bad news, bad news." A guard interrupted Shining.

"What is it?" Shining asked, intensifying his face.

The guard saluted. "The enemy is coming straight at us, and the evacuation team is dead."

"What? Dead? How?" Shining asked, keeping the intensified face.

"It appears that there are two enemy commanders," The guard said.

"Shoot, that is bad," Shining said.

Twilight interjected. "Wait a minute, if the enemy commander is coming here, then what happened to the force guarding the entrance? What about Rainbow and Applejack?"

"Not sure, Princess, but judging by its fierceness, I don't think they can hold out long. As for your friends, I am not sure either," the guard said.

"Don't worry, Twily. My wife and I will hold out here. You go to your friends." Shining said.

Twilight opened her wings. "Okay, big brother, but please be careful."

Shining smiled he watched Twilight head towards where her friends were.

(*****)

Porr charged at the enemy, raising his one arm. Since Bogen injured his leg, he decided to fly throughout the remaining battle. Although he can't feel pain, he didn't want to damage his injured leg.

With a loud shout, the punch neared Schwert. He sensed the power in that punch, dodging to the left. The blow missed. However, the injured dragon did not stop there. By making a sharp turn, Porr suddenly changed direction, his punch still in motion. Schwert braced for the impact.

Flegal and Bogen noticed their comrade in danger and used their weapons. The ball & chain flew through the air towards Porr while the arrows flew above him. Porr detected the attacks, stopping his attack and flying out of the way. He missed his opportunity to land a blow.

Porr realized that to defeat these three generals; he would have to separate them. Bogen was the most dangerous, so he started with him.

Using his strong wings, Porr charged at Bogen. Bogen fired arrows in retaliation, but the vermilion dragon evaded them. Grabbing Bogen by the neck, Porr flew away from the others.

This action shocked the two restored dragons, but deep in their minds, they commended Porr for finding a weakness. They obviously didn't like being controlled.

After widening the distance, Porr landed a blow on Bogen's head, popping it like a balloon. There was no blood, only paper-like scraps. However, just before he moved on to the others, the head regenerated.

Seeing this, Porr widened his eyes in surprise. If they could regenerate, Porr couldn't win in his current condition.

It wasn't long until the two other dragons caught up to him.

Sensing their arrival, Porr dropped Bogen and gained some distance. It was at this moment; something clicked in his mind. A soft power quietly surged. A sensation that was familiar to him appeared.

This sensation was like the time back at the village. Porr used the blue stone to gain power and transformed. This time, there was no stone.

'With this, I can…' Porr thought, clenching his claws.

Porr shouted, and a golden glow surrounded him. The light grew brighter until it blinded everything present. Power wildly surged out as the surrounding zombies turned to dust.

Upon seeing this, the three dragon generals gaped their jaws. They have never felt a power like this.

The glow dissipated. A dragon with gold streaks down his body and a golden tattoo on his right arm appeared. Porr's injuries healed as power ran through his body. However, his missing arm never grew back.

Porr could sense something was different, namely the tattoo. This symbol did not appear last time, but it somehow brought him comfort. He didn't think about it much.

Porr observed the three dragons. Although their jaws opened for a second, they closed it.

Rushing towards Bogen, Porr clenched his claw again. A golden glow wrapped around Porr's fist. In this form, he was faster and stronger that even Schwert could not react. The fist landed on Bogen's chest, a ray of light shot out. A hole appeared in his chest.

Bogen fell to his knees. The hole in his chest was not regenerating. Power seeped out of his body as the Restoration Spell wore off.

Before Bogen fell, he said to Porr, "Thank you."

Porr's eyes trembled but immediately stopped. He turned towards the remaining dragons.

Tears of joy flowed from their red eyes; Gratification was evident on their faces.

After struggling with his mouth, Schwert spoke. "This is it. A way to free us from that dastardly spell."

"Yes, friend, this young dragon can help us," Flegel said, tears still flowing from his eyes.

Porr walked towards Schwert and Flegal and waved his arm. Utilizing a locking spell, Porr locked the two dragons in place.

Their red eyes turned back to normal, showing that the spell broke. Porr stared at Flegel as he put his claw on Flegel's chest. "You are free now, return to the afterlife."

"Thank you, young dragon," Flegel said, gradually fading away.

Porr then turned towards Schwert and positioned his claw on Schwert's chest. "Before I send you back to the afterlife, I want to ask a question."

Schwert stopped his tears. "Of course, you saved us. Ask away."

"Does that necromancer have any other influential figures under her control?" Porr asked.

Schwert glanced downwards. "Not much. Other than us, there is Artibus and a unicorn whom I don't know."

"Alright, I will free them as well," Porr said, reassuring Schwert.

Schwert faded until he completely disappeared. Porr twisted his head as he stared at the city entrance as smoke rose up. It appeared to be a fire. Uneasiness overtook Porr as he sprinted towards the city.

Upon arriving, corpses filled the area. The stench of blood invaded Porr's nose. He tried to find survivors, but there wasn't a single one present. His gaze rested on an orange pegasus. It was Flash Century. He rushed over to where Flash was and took his pulse, however, he was dead.

"I should mourn over Flash's death, but for some reason, I don't care about him," Porr said, before moving to where the attacker went.

(*****)

Two ponies ran as fast as they could, trying to escape from an angry brute. They were Twilight's two friends, Rainbow Dash and Applejack and the creature, Robusto.

Those two stopped in their tracks. Ahead of them was an armored pegasus named Artibus.

Artibus walked closer towards the two and unsheathed his sword. "I don't wish to kill you, but I have no choice."

Rainbow and Applejack gulped down saliva when they heard Artibus. A slightly muscular pony on one side and a restored captain on the other; these odds did not appear decent.

Sweat ran down their bodies as they awaited their doom. However, their demise did not come. The two foes stopped their attack and stared sideways.

A dragon flew towards Artibus, and an alicorn flew towards Robusto. The two enemies couldn't react as both flew into debris.

"Porr, Twilight," the two ponies said.

"Are you girls alright?" Twilight said, landing.

Rainbow Dash wiped the sweat off her head. "Yeah, we're okay. Thanks for helping us."

Twilight nodded then noticed Porr's form. "Huh, you can still do that?"

"Apparently so," Porr said walking towards the collapsed captain.

Robusto and Artibus stood. Most of Artibus' face was gone, and blood leaked down from Robusto's mouth, shock filling them.

Porr placed his claw on Artibus' head. "It's okay; I know how to free you."

With a soft golden glow, the spell on Artibus broke. His eyes turned to normal as he faded. Gratitude was evident on his face. With a slight nod, he slowly disappeared.

Porr turned towards Robusto, heavily walking up to him. The dragon waved his claw as a chain flew out. This chain was one of his new abilities thanks to the markings on his arm. It wrapped around Robusto as he fell to the ground.

Twilight ran up to Porr, worried. "You came from the main entrance, right? How is Flash Century."

Porr shook his head, indicating that Flash is dead. When Twilight witnessed this, grief overtook her heart. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

Porr noticed this and sighed. "You can cry later. Right now, the city is still in danger."

Twilight wiped her tears. "Your right now is not the time to cry. We still need to save the Crystal Heart."

Everyone nodded and ran towards where the Crystal Heart was.

The moment they arrived, Limona already took care of the guards. Anger flashed on Porr's face.

Limona turned around and detected them. "Oh my, you are just in time," she said, angrily staring at Porr. "And you broke my toys. Do you know what I had to go through to get their bodies."

"Don't care. I did those souls a favor," Porr said.

"Hmpf, no matter, I still have my trump card," Limona said. "And I think you will like this toy, especially you Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight's heart fell when she heard this; a bad premonition waved through her mind.

With a glow of Limona's horn, A sarcophagus arose from the ground. It was intricately designed, with jewels embedded.

If Rarity saw this, she would flip in excitement.

The lid of the coffin burst opened. A unicorn sporting wizard clothes and bells stood up and looked around.

Twilight and Porr opened their jaws in shock when they noticed who this was. A unicorn deemed as the greatest; the one and only… Starswirl the Bearded.

(To be continued.)


	8. Chapter 8: Stolen, Porr vs Limona

**Chapter 8: Stolen; Limona vs. Porr**

Star Swirl the Bearded. A great unicorn and Twilight's idol; now controlled by the enemy. This sight shocked Twilight as hints of anger appeared in her eyes. Porr even more so.

Star Swirl scanned the area. "Restoration Spell? Who is trying to control me?"

"I am," Limona said, garnering the attention of the restored unicorn.

Star Swirl turned towards Limona. Squinting his eyes. "Foul necromancer put me back to eternal sleep."

"No can do. Now I order you to take care of that Twilight Sparkle while I have other matters." Limona said as she turned towards the Crystal Heart.

Twilight understood the situation and realized that she had to free Star Swirl. She lit up her horn and teleported Star Swirl and herself away from Limona.

(*****)

On an abandoned portion of the city, Twilight and Star Swirl reappeared.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds until Twilight opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Star Swirl decided to talk.

"No need to be tense, I won't harm you." Star Swirl said.

"That's good. I take it the spell didn't work properly?" Twilight asked. She was glad that Star Swirl wasn't under control.

"Hmph, that unicorn underestimates me too much." Star Swirl said, "She used some of her magic on summoning others and is apparently fighting with that dragon, which could drain her quickly. Now, are you acquainted with Celestia?"

"Yes, she is my teacher," Twilight said, a hint of pride appearing on her face.

Star Swirl rubbed his beard. "Guess that explains why you are an alicorn."

The two continued to talk about things and even Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who just arrived, joined in.

After a while, Star Swirl began to fade slowly. "It appears that that dragon managed to defeat her. It's time to say goodbye."

"Wait, I still have a lot of questions to ask you." A hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes as she saw the fading unicorn.

"Oh well, you need to get back to the city center and support your friend," Star Swirl said, fading completely. "Give Celestia my regards."

Twilight turned towards her friends. "Come on, let's return to the battlefield."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded their heads as they all galloped back to the center.

(*****)

A couple of seconds after Twilight teleported, Porr spotted Limona walking near the Crystal Heart and moved in front of her. Clenching his claw, Porr swung out his right arm with a golden glow.

Limona reacted as soon as Porr moved and put up a barrier. The two powerful forces collided. A fierce wind blew away everything in the vicinity. After a few seconds, a crack appeared in Limona's force-field.

Surprise flashed in her eyes. She had not expected a crack in her shield. Seeing this, she teleported backward trying to avoid the attack. While Limona fixed her barrier, Porr moved again, but this time, the glow around his arm shined brighter.

Limona sensed the dangerous attack. However, she could not react. The dragon's attack instantly arrived at her location. The barrier shattered from the overwhelming power, but the punch did not slow down.

Limona decided to endure the blow as she was confident in her physical defense.

BANG.

The attack met with Limona's face, creating a giant crater. Finishing the attack, Porr flew upwards. He figured that his attack would end it, but he was wrong.

Limona stood up as blood ran down from her mouth. She had survived.

Porr stared in disbelief and thought, 'That attack should have finished her. How can she stand?'

Limona noticed Porr's shock and wiped the blood off of her mouth. "I am not an ordinary unicorn. My body is nearly as strong as Durio's transformed state. Coupled with my magic, I am a fearsome existence."

'Well, this will be difficult' Porr thought. He understood the power of Durio's transformed state; it could even tie with his mysterious transformation.

Before he could finish pondering these things, magic beams fired from the necromancer's horn. Noticing this nearly too late, he hurriedly dodged to the side. However, he was not safe yet. More beams launched towards him, and all he could do was evade.

It only took a few seconds for the dragon to notice an opening. He took advantage of it and charged straight for Limona. He extended his right arm, readying another attack. The markings on his arm flashed as golden chains sprung from the ground. With this ability, Porr could entangle his opponents, rendering them unable to move.

The chains have trapped Limona, making her panic slightly. Although she couldn't move, the panic immediately disappeared. Bracing her hooves, she decided to launch a mega powerful magic beam. After a few moments, Porr got incredibly close to her, preparing a powerful punch. However, Limona was not one to take another punch like that, so she fired her ray.

Porr noticed the beam, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he threw out the punch, hoping to break the attack.

BOOM.

A mighty collision between a magically enhanced punch and a powerful beam. The magic fluctuations were so powerful that debris flew everywhere.

All the spectators, including Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, dropped their jaws. Since Shining Armor's wife was in the crosshairs of the aftermath, he put up a barrier over her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash left the scene earlier to find where Twilight went, so they did not see it.

"Break!" As Porr shouted these words, cracks began to appear in the beam. It was not long until the attack shattered altogether. He used this chance and continued his path towards Limona. However, before his punch could land, Limona lit up her horn and teleported.

When the dust settled, only one figure remained in the crater. This character was Porr grabbing thin air. He was upset that the necromancer teleported away at the last second.

Not far from the crater, Limona blinked out of teleportation. She scanned her surroundings and noticed that she teleported further away from the Crystal Heart. Her face paled from exhaustion as blood leaked down her mouth. It was evident that her teleportation spell took a lot out of her. She then turned towards Porr.

Porr fared no better. His last attack used a lot of energy which caused him to spit out blood. However, he was still in his unnatural state so he can keep on fighting. He turned his head towards where Limona teleported and observed the expression on her face. The exhausted Dragon then detected the blood that leaked from Limona's mouth and grinned.

Both of their gazes met, indicating they could still fight.

Limona lit up her horn and fired many small beams, but they all missed the target.

Porr then rushed forwards and punched. This punch was not as powerful as the last, but it would be enough to injure the unicorn further.

Limona noticed the dragon coming towards her and stopped her attack. She then put up a barrier with all of her remaining magic, blocking the punch. The force field trembled as it absorbed most the damage, but even then, small cracks appeared on the surface.

Limona changed the formless magic around her horn solidified and formed a sword. She then deactivated the barrier at the moment that Porr's attack stopped. Finally, she activated a self-acceleration spell and launched upwards, slashing the dragon across his chest and right shoulder.

The herbs wore off a long time ago, so Porr experienced the pain, but he didn't let it get to him and immediately grabbed Limona's tail. He swung down as hard as he could, allowing him to smash her into the ground.

A crater formed at the moment of impact, dealing a severe blow to Limona's spinal region and the connection to all of her summons. She widened her eyes in shock, thinking about how Porr could keep moving. She then rolled her eyes on the dragon's body and saw that the cut she inflicted already started healing at a rapid pace.

Porr ignored his regeneration and thought of a way to kill Limona.

After a few seconds of decisiveness, Porr proceeded to act out a plan and raised his leg, preparing to land the finishing blow. His leg descended like a raging tidal wave smashing against the coast, but before it could hit, Limona used a mysterious technique and teleported out of the way again. Upon noticing this, the dragon stopped his attack mid-way. He couldn't believe that the magically drained unicorn could still teleport.

Limona reappeared several feet away, but she was in a worse state than before. Blood continuously leaked out of her mouth and her spine slightly deformed. Because of this, she could barely move. This mysterious technique of hers acted on her life force rather than her magic, thus shortening her lifespan by a few years. She figured that she lost this fight as her connection to Star Swirl, and all her zombies disappeared.

Of course, Porr did not rest and launched a fireball towards her the moment he reappeared.

Limona noticed the ball of fire, panic flashing in her eyes. Since she was out of magic and couldn't risk using up more of her life force, she braced herself.

"BOOM" The fireball hit.

Porr appeared from behind and clenched his claws. His eyes became colder as he neared her inch-by-inch. However, before the punch could hit, a mysterious portal appeared. The gateway sucked in his punch and appeared in another location. The entrance immediately closed, severing his remaining right arm.

He yelled out in pain as he witnessed the blood gushing out, making all the ponies near him faint. However, due to his mysterious quasi-transformation, that severed limb began to regrow. He figured it would only take several minutes for it to grow back fully. Then he glanced at his missing left arm, but it did not regrow. The exhausted dragon then realized that Azurion must have done something to nullify any healing-based abilities or spells.

This portal that appeared before Limona made her confused and relieved. 'A portal? None of the Bloody Five have this ability, unless, Grover finished one of his experiments. If that's the case, then I need to thank him later.'

Porr's quasi-transformation wore off just as the arm finished regenerating, collapsing to his knees.

"What in Tartarus' blazes was that? Where did those portals come from?" Porr thought.

Princess Cadence noticed what happened a few seconds ago and rushed to support Porr. After that, she ordered her guards to seize the fatally injured unicorn and the chained earth pony, whom Porr took out earlier. However, before the guards could reach Limona, a loud monotonous voice reverberated the entire battlefield. Even Twilight and her two friends, who just returned to the city center, heard his voice.

"Look at you fools, thinking this is over," the voice said as a purplish portal appeared before Limona. A pony-like figure walked out and lifted her onto its back. This pony had teal fur, but no mane or cutie mark. His eyes are emotionless and his movements almost mechanical.

"Who… are… you?" Porr asked with great difficulty. "Part… of the… Bloody… Five?"

"I go by MPA-01. I am not of the Bloody Five, but my master is." MPA turned back towards the portal and disappeared, but not for good. Another portal opened, but this time, it was behind the Crystal Heart. A hoof reached out, and before any pony noticed, it grabbed the Crystal Heart and vanished.

Shining Armor sensed something was off and turned around, widening his eyes in disbelief. He realized that the Crystal Heart was missing. He then gestured to his wife, and when she saw that the Crystal Heart was missing, she nearly fainted.

What did the missing relic signify? It meant that the Frozen North would take over the Crystal Empire and blanket it in darkness. Since the Crystal Heart disappeared, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence understood that it must no longer be in the city.

A chilling wind blew through the town as darkness surrounded it. All the guards that were cleaning up the various debris and corpses became fearful. It was at this moment, the two Royal Sisters, Princess Celestia & Princess Luna appeared. They descended from the air and landed near the missing Crystal Heart.

Cadence noticed the two sisters and greeted them. When they asked what transpired here, She explained everything she saw. Celestia and Luna pondered over what they heard, but those thoughts suddenly stopped.

Twilight Sparkle spotted the other princesses. Happiness filled her face as she descended. She even yelled out to them. When she landed, she told the other princesses about her "battle" with Star Swirl.

Although they were happy to see each other, they had to get all the remaining ponies and guards out of the city before the darkness completely envelops it.

Celestia noticed Porr sitting down and walked up to him.

"Hello Porr," Celestia said.

Porr turned his head and spotted a tall and beautiful alicorn. "So you're Princess Celestia? It is an honor to meet you."

"Can you still fly?" She asked.

"Of course."

Celestia smiled. "Good, because I need your help to gather all the guards and fly them out."

"Yes," Porr said as he stood up.

Celestia walked back towards the other princesses and gestured to all the guards to prepare for departure.

Before they could evacuate, a few straggling guards appeared and reported that the earth pony was not there. They then joined with the others and left the city.

As of this moment, Cadence would never see her kingdom for a long time.

(To be continued)


	9. Chapter 9: Setting Off

**Chapter 9: Setting off**

On an island, off the coast of Equestria, Limona slept soundly on a hospital bed. Although she was still in bad condition, she had a healthier complexion than when she was in the Crystal Empire.

Grover, one of the Bloody Five and genius "doctor," stood beside her while administering a green serum capable of accelerating the body's healing process.

Grover finished the tube of serum and stared at the unicorn. "To think that Limona was in such a state. If it wasn't for me completing the first MPA unit, she could have died and the mission a failure."

He then moved away from his patient and walked up to a mysterious fluid-filled capsule. The creature inside the capsule had the appearance of a dragon similar to Porr, and judging by the look on his face, it was going well.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice commanded Grover and the rest of the Bloody Five, to converge in the large chamber and report their success.

A few minutes later, in an enormous room, four figures stood around a round table. A black orb sat in the center of the platform, releasing an evil magic as it whirled. The power coalesced on top of the sphere, forming a dark cloud. Two cold eyes appeared, sending chills down everyone present.

They all bowed and shouted in unison. "MASTER."

Muerte scanned his surroundings and noticed that only four showed.

"Where is Limona?" Muerte asked.

Grover continued bowing and said, "She was heavily injured by our enemies and is resting in my lab."

Muerte coldly stared at Grover. "So the mission was unsuccessful?"

"No. I sensed earlier that something could go wrong, so I sent one of my experiments to steal it," Grover said.

He took out the Crystal Heart from who knows where and offered it to his master.

Muerte took the relic. "Although I gave the mission to Limona and Robusto, you had the foresight that something could go wrong and sent one of your experiments. Now, for the final mission."

When Muerte said that last sentence, everyone's attention rose. They understood that when this mission is successful, their master would rise to power and conquer everything in Equestria and beyond, thus accomplishing their desires.

"The final mission is to acquire the magic essence of the Elements of Harmony," Muerte said, still staring at Grover. "I believe you have a device for such a task so that I can leave it to you."

"Yes Master, I will not fail you," Grover said, never daring to look up.

Muerte began to sink into the orb with the Crystal Heart. "Good, I will wait for the results. You are all dismissed."

A few seconds later, the magic faded away as the Bloody Five left their positions.

Grover went back to his lab to begin working on an old device he worked on before coming to the island while healing Limona.

Robusto also went back to his area and thought on how to defeat Porr if they were to meet again.

Azurion and Durio were the only ones who stayed in the room before the chamber because the orange pegasus had something to discuss with the azure-scaled dragon.

"Azurion, I have a question." Durio said.

Azurion stopped what he was doing and sat down. "What is it?"

"Although we have been partners for a while, why are you following Master Muerte?" he asked.

Azurion sighed. "There are a few reasons why I follow Muerte, isn't that the same with you?"

"What are those motives exactly?" Durio asked, "I had told you my aims when we first met, but why won't you tell me yours."

Azurion released a hint of killing intent and stared at Durio. "It is all tied to my past. You should stop inquiring it. Although we are partners, I still have no reason to tell you."

"Okay, I get it. Why are you so touchy?" Durio said, turning towards his area. "I will head to my area and do some training."

After Durio had left, Azurion was the only one in the room. 'You would never understand, Durio, the pain, and suffering I experienced before that old pony found me and brought me here. I will do whatever it takes to recover her, even if I have to follow the orders of someone else. However, I won't complain, Muerte's magic is unbelievable.'

(*****)

A few days passed after the destruction of the Crystal Empire.

Celestia and Luna combed all the libraries in hopes of finding a clue to the whereabouts of the Crystal Heart.

Twilight Sparkle did her investigations, hoping to pinpoint the main base, even her friends helped.

Porr sat down somewhere in the castle, fury in his eyes. He kept clenching his claws and his expression unhappy. One could tell that he bottled up his emotions over the past few days.

Twilight noticed his expression and decided to have a chat with him.

"What's the matter?" Twilight asked, walking up to him.

When Porr heard this question, he lashed out and threw a punch towards the alicorn. However, he instantaneously realized whom he was about to hit and stopped mid-way.

Porr put his arm down. "I'm sorry."

The punch scared Twilight, but after a few seconds, her face returned to normal. "It's fine, but why are you so angry?"

"Why am I so weak? First, I couldn't save my grandfather; now I couldn't even save the Crystal Empire," Porr said. The anger in his eyes didn't dull.

Twilight sighed and sat down. "Listen, the past is the past, and there is nothing you can do to change that. I am sure your grandfather wouldn't want you to be depressed, and there was no way we could have predicted that another strong foe would appear to steal the Crystal Heart."

'That's easy for you to say; I am a dragon, and you are a pony. I understand friendship to a degree, but that doesn't mean I would ponder over your ideas." Porr raised his voice. "My grandfather is dead, and the Crystal Empire is gone, I cannot forgive myself."

Twilight showed concern for her friend. "If you would just listen to what I sa—"

"Shut up." Porr gnashed his teeth in rage. "What do you know? You may have lost a loved one in that battle, but I lost my grandfather in a previous one. He and Lot were all I truly knew. Now, an entire empire disappeared, all because of my weakness."

Although Twilight didn't like the way Porr yelled at her, she didn't let any of this get to her.

She sighed again and sat up. "If that is what you think, then you are weak."

When Porr heard Twilight calling him weak, he couldn't hold back his anger any longer and snarl. He then got up and stormed out of the castle.

'I thought he was an okay guy, but who would have thought that the past events shook him so much. I hope what I said will get into that skull of his.' With this thought in mind, she continued her investigations.

A few minutes later, Porr found a vast meadow outside of Ponyville. Within the meadow were giant rocks at least three times bigger than he was. He immediately walked over to one and, with all his frustration, threw a punch.

The moment his blow made contact, the rock shattered into tiny pieces. He went up to the other rocks and smashed them to smithereens as well.

By the time he let out all of his anger, he had destroyed all the giant rocks. He began to calm down and pondered about something. It was then that he remembered something from quite a while ago: That voice.

He recollected what the voice told him when he was unconscious; to find the tomb of a being named Vanlith.

He didn't know who or what Vanlith was. Then, he would have to go out on a journey and will not return for a while. Of course, he was hesitant about this task as the Bloody Five or some other related forces could strike again.

Porr wanted to become stronger as fast as possible, so he sided with his first decision. He grabbed a flat piece of rock and carved a message. When he finished, he threw it towards the town, hoping that Twilight or one of her friends would find it.

As to where he would start, he chose to go back to his village. He hasn't seen Lot for a while, so he left the area and flew off into the distance.

Meanwhile, the stone that Porr threw smashed through the castle window and landed near Spike. He noticed the rock had a message, so he decided to read it. When Spike finished reading the note, he opened his jaws and immediately ran towards Twilight.

Twilight noticed the baby dragon running towards her, placing her eye on the rock in his hands. She used her Levitation Spell and read what was on the stone.

Twilight widened her eyes and covered her mouth. She was quite upset that Porr didn't tell her personally, but she was also happy that her dragon friend found a starting point. Now, she could only wait for his return and deal with the Bloody Five at the same time.

(*****)

It took Porr a few hours of continuous flying to reach the entrance of the cave. He walked up and knocked. A Small slit slid open, revealing two eyes as the pony scanned the newcomer.

"Password," the guard said.

"Mountains are the best place to live," Porr said.

The guard involuntarily shook and immediately opened the door. "It's you. You're Porr."

Porr grinned. "That's right. I have returned because I wanted to see Elder Lot again and have a little chat."

When Porr confirmed their suspicions, they all cheered in joy. Although these guards were new, they recognized who Porr was.

After a few minutes of walking and talking, Porr finally reached the entrance of the village. Porr had a feeling of nostalgia when he spotted the iconic places. There were even new buildings, which he didn't recognize.

The moment he walked in, everyone turned to see who the newcomer was. Smiles appeared on their faces as they all surrounded him.

These villagers naturally heard of Porr's injuries, and when they saw who returned, they grew ecstatic.

Most of the villagers he was acquainted with spread among the crowd, hoping to say a few words, but they didn't have the time.

Porr didn't have the time for this, so he spread his wings and flew towards the biggest building. It didn't take long for him to go through the door and reach the room where Lot stayed.

He opened the door. "Hello Elder Lot, been a while."

Lot sat on a chair, continuously stamping papers. He looked up to discern whom the voice belonged to, and to his surprise, it was the vermilion dragon.

"Porr? Is it you?" Lot asked.

"Of course, it is, who else looks or sounds like me?" Porr said.

"I am so glad you're okay. Tell me, have you come back to live here?" Lot asked again.

Porr shook his head. "Not really. I have a matter I want to talk about with you, but first, let me see my grandfather's grave."

"I understand. I usually don't leave my work, but since it's you, I will make an exception." Lot stopped what he was doing and walked towards a door.

Porr thanked Lot and followed him to the entrance. Behind the door was an abundance of gems and other treasures. In the center, a huge pile of ordinary rocks stood out. Under those rocks, was the corpse of his grandfather, a friendly and mighty dragon.

Tears began to swell up in his eye. From the time he was found as a baby dragon, to the instance, he first learned to fight, and to the occasion, he played pranks, countless memories raced through his mind. He then kneeled and lowered his head, murmuring many words.

A few minutes passed, and the two figures walked back into the office.

Lot was the first to speak. "What is this matter you have on your mind?"

"I am setting off to find the tomb of someone named Vanlith. You heard of him?" Porr asked.

"Vanlith? No I haven't, but judging by the name, he must be a mighty dragon," Lot said.

"I figured as much, so I'm asking if you have a clue where to start," Porr said.

"That would be hard. Dragon tombs are very sacred, just like the one behind that door. Try searching the Dragon Lands," Lot said.

"The Dragon Lands? Grandfather told me about that place, filled with dragons and home to the legendary Dragon Lord," Porr said, "Now that I know where to start, I should get going."

"So soon? Fine, but before you go, I need to give you something." Lot walked towards an old chest. He opened the chest and brought out a long golden spear.

Beautiful gems and intricate markings adorned the weapon as the dragon figureheads lined up symmetrically. One could tell from just a single glance, the power, and magic it contains. Moreover, it gave off an aura of destruction, waiting to destroy everything in its path.

Lot gave the spear to Porr. "This spear belonged to your grandfather back in his days, and now it is yours. Its name is Dominance."

Porr received the weapon, commenting on its uniqueness. Then he strapped it on his back and bid farewell.

He left the cave and out into the sunlight, turning his head towards the Dragon Lands. Finally, he opened his wings and flew off into the distance.

(To Be Continued.)


	10. Chapter 10: Drayce

**Chapter 10: Drayce**

In a forest, a figure dashed through the grass, panting heavily, and on his back was a massive rock. The speed that he went wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow either. It was then that he stopped and put the rock down, causing a powerful tremor. He stretched out his body and walked into the sunlight. Vermilion scales, one arm and a spear on his back, this figure was Porr.

"I should be nearing the Dragon Lands by now, so it would probably take a couple of hours of continuous running, but first, I will take a break," Porr said as he sat down, taking his weapon. "Dominance should have some unique function, like a hidden compartment or an extendable point. Maybe it could even talk and make jokes."

When he thought up of that last impossible idea, he immediately dismissed it. The idea of a talking spear was ridiculous.

Time passed, and Porr put the spear on his back then placed the rock over the weapon and began training again. However, before he could get far, he noticed something trailing him. The dragon could tell that the thing following him had no malicious intent but still didn't like the idea of being followed. Thus, he decided to drop the rock and lose it. By cutting the stone, his speed increased three-fold.

Porr noticed that his pursuer kept going and thought, 'What in Tartarus' blazes is following me. No matter how much I go faster, it keeps sticking close like super glue. Guess I have no choice, but to fight.'

So, he slowed down and launched a bright blue fireball, which hit a branch. With a "thud" sound, the pursuer fell from the branch and appeared in Porr's view. He was a young, short dragon about half the size of Porr. Emerald green scales adorned his body

"Ow, why did you do that?" the emerald green dragon said.

The young dragon surprised Porr. "Just a child? What's your name, kid and why are you following me?"

The fact that a dragon half the size of Porr is capable of keeping up with his speed astounded him.

The fallen dragon stuck out his tongue. "Why should I give you my name, you nearly killed me. I also have no reason to tell why I am chasing you unless you apologize."

Porr didn't like the attitude of this dragon, but he could only say sorry.

The emerald green dragon caught Porr's apology and decided to tell him his name and reason to tail him.

Apparently, his name was Drayce, and the reason he followed was that of help. He had quite a few problems

It was then that Drayce invited Porr over to his place. Porr was hesitant about it at first because of time, but he needed to make up for Drayce's misfortune.

Thirty minutes later, Porr and Drayce arrived at a small cave. They both entered and came across a spacious room with basic furniture, a pile of gems and some cave paintings.

"This is my home. Nice, huh?" Drayce said.

"I guess, but what about the small pile of gems? Shouldn't dragons at least have a decent collection?" Porr asked.

Pain shone through Drayce's eyes. "For five years, a powerful bandit group called "Death's Grasp" have been coming here every month. I can't fight very well, so they extort my gems for their leader, Grim. I don't know what he looks like, but he is very dangerous. Although there is only an outpost here, they are still dangerous."

"Then why don't you leave? With your speed, the bandits shouldn't catch up to you." Porr said, sitting on some furniture.

The pain in the young dragon's eyes changed to helplessness. "That's the thing, they are holding my sis hostage, and that if I run away, they will kill her."

"So, you're expecting me to help you?" Porr asked.

Drayce bowed towards Porr, banging his head on the ground. "Yes, please give me a claw! I'm begging you, if you can save my sis, I will follow you and be your servant."

Porr watched as Drayce bowed, all he could do was refuse. Although the idea of a family member held hostage made his heart bitter, he had no obligation to help the young dragon. Plus, the sight of a proud dragon begging him to deal with bandits, filled him with a slight disgust. Later, he got up and walked towards the entrance.

Drayce asked why Porr refused, but the vermilion dragon didn't answer, so he could only try one more thing.

"I overheard that the bandits recently obtained a map," Drayce said.

Porr stopped in his tracks. "What map?"

Drayce noticed this development and continued. "if you agree to help me, I can tell you where it leads to."

Porr refused again and continued to walk.

Drayce, with no more options, decided to spill on what the map is. "Fine, it leads to a tomb."

Porr halted once again. "A grave? Okay."

He didn't know whether the map leads to Vanlith's tomb or some random grave, but on the off chance that it is the former, he would help.

Drayce was ecstatic to hear an agreement. With his speed and Porr's strength, he could finally see his sister again.

It was at that moment a commotion exploded outside as a deep voice reverberated through the cave.

"It's time for payment," the voice said.

Drayce's face fell. "Why is Kyl here? I paid him just last week."

"It appears that your previous payment was not enough, and now he wants more for his boss," Porr discerned that that voice didn't belong to the leader, so naturally, he wasn't scared.

"Whatever, He will be here any moment now, so you need to hide," Drayce said.

He did not understand the reason to hide, so he shrugged his shoulders in agreement and hid behind a couch.

A few moments later, a stallion arrived at the entrance of the cave. Artichoke green fur with long white hair was barely touching the ground and strapped to his side a sharp dagger, sheathed in its scabbard. In his dark green eyes, one could only see sorrow and grief; it looked as if he experienced a lot in his life.

He glared at Drayce. "Time to pay up again."

"Why? I paid you last week," Drayce said

"The boss wasn't satisfied with your earlier payment, so he sent me to get more. Do you not want to see your precious sister?" Kyl asked in contempt

"You better not have harmed her," Drayce said, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't worry; she's fine for now. Do you have the gems?" the bandit asked.

"I couldn't get enough, so no, I do not have the gems. Besides, you cannot do this."

"We're bandits; we do what we" —the robber froze his mouth and sharply looked in the direction that Porr was hiding— "You can come out now."

Drayce showed nervousness on his face, and Porr widened his eyes in shock. He hid his presence well, but that pegasus could still detect him. However, that didn't matter, as he could easily take him down. Facing no other option, Porr stood up from behind the couch, emanating a subtle killing intent.

"I was right, to think that you got some help, not that it would do anything. If you are not going to donate gems, then I will take yours and your sister's life."

Drayce shivered at those final words, and before he could say anything, Porr quickly moved in front of him. Porr then drew his spear and charged towards the pegasus at lightning speed. However, Kyl reacted quickly and drew his short sword, trying to parry with the spear. But the force of the spear, combined with the dragon's strength, suddenly jolted Kyl back.

Afterward, Kyl came to his senses and flanked Porr, letting out a dangerous attack. Porr noticed this attack. He jutted out his spear end, making contact with the opponent's body. The force of the blow blew the pegasus away, smashing into a cave wall as web-like cracks spread out from the impact.

The bandit coughed up blood and finally fainted. Although Kyl had good perception, he still couldn't compare to a trained dragon regarding power.

Drayce's eyes gleamed. "Wow, you are powerful."

"Eh, he was weak, but what I am interested in is their leader. Maybe he has some connection to the Bloody Five." Porr said, picking up the limp body.

While the chances that the bandit group was related to the Bloody Five were slim, it wasn't too far-fetched. With this thought, Porr now had another good reason to help Drayce.

"What are you going to do with the body?" Drayce asked. He was afraid that Porr brutally murdered the bandit.

"I only knocked him unconscious, so I will find a good location to hide his body. His subordinates might get restless, though, but with their strength, they are no threat to me," Porr said as he quietly disposed of the body into a nearby bush.

Now that the situation was taken care of, Porr followed Drayce to one of the outposts of "Death's Grasp."

(*****)

Meanwhile, in another part of Equestria, a griffon worked tirelessly on something in a lab filled with chemicals and other unexplainable things. This thing he worked on looked like a chamber. Inside the compartment were six capsules, each connecting to six vials. The griffon's name was Grover, one of the Bloody Five, and this machine was exactly the Magic Essence Extractor that he built to accomplish his mission.

Grover finished and wiped off his sweat. "Now that everything is setup, I just need the targets. Get going MPA; I await good results."

Standing at the side of Grover, was the MPA that stole the Crystal Heart, cloaked in darkness. If one didn't look closely, they would never know.

"Yes, Master." With a bow, MPA went through a purplish hole and disappeared.

(To be continued)


	11. Chapter 11: Extraction

_**(A/N) I am back... again. You probably don't care about this stuff, but due to motivational issues, life and forgetfulness, I couldn't post any chapters. I won't go off the radar like last time, so enjoy. Also, I fixed some errors I missed in previous chapters.**_

 **Chapter 11: Extraction**

In the royalty room of the Canterlot castle, Twilight and Celestia were discussing on how to end this oncoming threat. They already lost two important relics and did not know when the Bloody Five would strike again.

"First they took a blue stone filled with incredible power, and now they stole the Crystal Heart. What should we do Celestia?" Twilight asked.

Celestia looked at Twilight. "This is indeed troublesome. We do not know the location of their base of operations, or when they strike, but you told me a unicorn named Limona was at the Crystal Empire."

"Do you know her Celestia?"

Celestia sighed. "Yes, She was one of my previous prized pupils, an amazing talent, but things happened, and she went missing thirty years ago."

After hearing Celestia, Twilight had a realization. "Wait, if you said thirty years ago then, I might be able to find information on the last member of the Bloody Five.

"How will you do that?" Celestia asked.

"I found a newspaper earlier which covered the disappearance of Durio and that giant earth pony called Robusto. If I can conduct a similar search by reading newspapers from 30 years ago, the identity of that last member should become clear," Twilight said.

"Interesting, I have some newspapers in a nearby storeroom on the left if you want to check them out."

"Thanks, Celestia." Twilight then ran off to that depository.

A few moments later, Twilight Sparkle found the article she wanted to find. It had the information on a griffon doctor-scientist by the name of Grover, who disappeared thirty years ago. After reading the article, Twilight went back to Ponyville.

(*****)

Back at Twilight's castle.

The Mane 6 sat around the table, discussing the members of the Bloody Five.

Twilight put down some papers, and on them were written profiles of the Bloody Five. "Okay, based on the information I gathered, there are five members, hence the name.

Twilight then levitated the descriptions and explained the characters depicted one by one. "The first one I want to talk to you all about is the unicorn necromancer named Limona. She uses a forbidden dark spell which can raise the dead or even restore them, has a powerful body and is a former pupil of Celestia.

"Next up, we have Robusto. He is an intimidating bounty hunter from Appaloosa, who would take on any bounty for a price; May it be killing his target or otherwise.

"Now we come to Grover. The last member of the Bloody Five; This sadistic griffon is known to have conducted illegal experiments using his enemies. He would rip them into pieces for his gain, and enjoy it.

"The fourth member is a pegasus named Durio. Capable of wielding magic and transforming, he is probably the strangest of them all. He is also a skilled fighter who favors close-quarters combat.

"Last, but not least, we have Azurion. There are no articles on him, so he is the most mysterious. When I probed him, I couldn't sense a limit in his power. He is capable of overpowering Porr with no effort, and even took his left arm."

After Twilight had explained the articles, the present ponies and Spike each gave their concerns about the looming threat. But before they could get far in their plans, a portal appeared in the center of the table.

Upon seeing this portal, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack widened their eyes. They have seen this opening before. The others just stared at it, wondering why their friends looked surprised.

However, before anyone could speak, six small metal balls came out in all directions, releasing a powerful sleeping gas. The concentration was powerful enough to knock them all out.

Six figures appeared from the portal. They lifted the sleeping ponies, including Spike before disappearing back into the gate. When the portal closed, everything went silent.

(*****)

Deep underground at an unknown location, the mane six slowly opened their eyes. When they finally came to, they found themselves inside a giant glass chamber. Spike was also nowhere in the room.

Twilight rubbed her head. "Where are we?"

Rainbow Dash was the next one to speak up. "I don't know. All I remember is the portal appearing out of now-."

"Welcome to my laboratory, ponies." before the cyan pegasus could finish her sentence, a voice sounded out in front of them.

Just outside the chamber, a chair protruded from the ground. It then spun around, slowly revealing the features of the voice's owner; A pale looking cybernetic griffon.

His mechanical parts flashed throughout his entire body. Just by looking at him, one could tell his insanity level.

"You must be Grover." Twilight was the first to act.

"That's me."

"What will you do to us?"

"Don't worry; I won't do anything too harmful. It's just that I need to take your magic essence. You are all the element bearers, yes?"

The ponies didn't say anything, as sweat dropped from the heads.

"I see. APA-03, press the button."

The pony-like machine pressed its hooves against a big button. As it did so, the sound of machinery echoed throughout the chamber holding the girls.

Electricity coursed through their bodies, making them yell in pain. A substance then appeared from their cutie marks and traveled all the way to six bottles. A gadget activated when the essence reached it, transforming the gas to a liquid. Finally, the newly-formed liquid slowly dripped into the test tubes.

Grover enjoyed the yells of the ponies.

The machine stopped, causing the mane six to drop from exhaustion with only Twilight remaining conscious. The griffon checked the liquid and showed signs of disappointment.

"I thought this wouldn't be enough; It didn't even fill a quarter." Grover then looked back at Twilight. "Tell me, are there any other sources of the elements' magic."

Twilight slightly clamped her jaw. "There isn't."

Grover smirked. "Lying won't work, as I have a method to make you speak."

When he finished talking, the griffon pushed a lever, which lowered a board. And on that board, a tied up dragon-like figure hung from it. This figure was Spike.

When Twilight saw this, she gnashed her teeth at Grover. "What are you planning to do to him."

Grover reached for a scalpel and said, "If you don't tell me where the other source is, I will dissect him right in front of you."

"NO!" Twilight yelled with all the energy she had left, but after some thought, she decided to tell. "Okay, I will tell you. There is a tree in the Everfree Forest called The Tree of Harmony. It is inside a cave near an old castle."

"Hmm, thank you for cooperating. As a fellow scientist, I knew you would listen to reason," Grover said.

Before Grover could continue, he heard a beep coming from a teleporter at his side. This sound made him smile maliciously.

The apparatus shined with a blue light, and inside it, a draconic silhouette appeared. The shadow walked out of the machine, revealing its features. The figure was tall, had vermilion scales, and looked exactly like Porr.

Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. "Porr? It can't be. Unless it's a clone."

While Twilight was thinking of possibilities, the griffon talked with the Porr-like clone. "P-01, I am going on a little trip to the Everfree Forest, and I want you to guard my prisoners. If they happen to escape, eliminate them without mercy."

P-01 listened to Grover with an expressionless face. "Yes, master."

With that line, the Porr-like clone sat down in front of the chamber, coldly staring at its captives.

Grover grabbed a small metal case and went through the teleporter.

Just as this happened, Twilight's friends woke up. They asked what happened while they were out cold. The lavender alicorn explained everything that had happened. As for Spike, he was still tied up and asleep.

The girls then formulated a plan to escape.

Rainbow Dash walked up to the clone. "Hey there, 'Porr.' Twilight told me you were so weak that you couldn't even save your grandfather."

Upon hearing Rainbow's statement, the Porr clone got up with an angry expression and opened the chamber door. However, just at this moment, Rainbow Dash gave a signal. With that indication, Twilight and the others all rushed toward the copy.

"He may look like him, but he is just a clone and not the actual Porr," Twilight said.

Surprise flashed through his eyes, but it was too late. They managed to get past him. However, this was only for a moment, so he gestured toward the other personnel, and they all pursued the escapees.

Twilight arrived before Spike and did whatever she could to free the sleeping dragon, while the rest of the girls held off the pursuers the best they could.

After a few seconds, Twilight untied the ropes with the magic she had left and signaled her friends to head toward the teleporter that Grover went through.

When they arrived at the teleporter, Twilight used her brain to figure out how it worked, and not only that, she found a self-destruct sequence. After putting in the coordinates and setting the sequence to 5 seconds, they left through the teleporter.

5!

The chasers noticed the countdown and panicked.

3!

2!

1!

BOOM

The explosion destroyed everything within the lab, including the personnel. Even the Porr clone didn't survive the fiery inferno.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, a flash of light emanated from the front of Twilight's castle. Six ponies and one dragon appeared from thin air, and when they saw the castle, they all jumped for joy.

"Hang on a minute," Applejack stopped jumping and stared at Twilight. "Did we just commit a crime?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Twilight shook her head. "Those assistants of his were machines. I figured they were mechanical, because of their movements. Even that copy should be somewhat mechanical."

"If you say so," Applejack said, "But what about Grover himself; He should be at the tree right about now."

"I tried going there, but he locked the location," Twilight said.

"Well, that sucks. I guess we just have to head there on hoof," Rainbow Dash said.

All the girls agreed and rushed into the direction of the Everfree Forest.

(*****)

Near the Old Castle, a griffon holding a small metal case flew into a cave, which housed the Tree of Harmony.

The metal case expanded and opened, revealing its contents. Inside were six small tubes filled with colored liquid and a gadget that looked like a ray gun.

He took out the machine and pointed it at the tree. "Alright, let's see what this gadget can do."

With a flip of a switch, circular energy waves emerged from the barrel. It surrounded the tree and drained the energy within. After Grover's gadget had absorbed the tree, it lit up.

'Now that I have all I need, it is unnecessary to stay here. With this much magic, the seal upon Master Muerte will break.' Grover thought.

He put his invention back into the metal case, which shrunk down afterward. He grabbed it and clicked a button on his watch.

"Watch, connect me to lab 25."

A mechanical voice sounded from the watch. "Beep. The location you are trying to reach could not be connected."

Grover's eyes enlarged in doubtfulness. "What do you mean I can't reach my lab? What happened?"

"Beep. Someone destroyed it. Everything in your lab is gone, even the personnel."

"..."

"Huh!? Destroyed? How is that possible? Those ponies shouldn't be able to escape; I even stationed a mechanical clone of a dragon to guard them."

"Beep. Not my problem. Want to connect to another lab?"

Grover sighed. "Fine, connect me to the lab 01."

"Beep. Establishing a connection, please wait."

Before the A.I. could finish, the mane six appeared just outside the cave.

Twilight, at the lead of the pack, became angry. "The jig is up, Grover, we will not let you get away."

Grover put on a mocking face, as he buried his grief. "Au contraire, Twilight, for you're a step too late."

"Beep. Connection established. Transporting in 3, 2, 1..."

"Haha, later Mane Losers."

A bright flash of light shone from his watch. Moments later, he disappeared.

Applejack kicked the dirt beneath her. "Ah shoot, Grover got away."

"Don't worry; we will get him next time." Rarity said.

Well, at least he didn't damage the Tree of Harmony too much. Come, let's go home and plan our next move." Twilight said.

"Right." The rest said in unison before heading home.

(*****)

Back on the mysterious island, Grover walked out of a teleporter. The anger in his expression was a sight to behold.

"Grover? You look uneasy." A feminine voice sounded from the bed in front of him.

"Oh, Limona, you're awake."

Limon got out of her bed and staggered toward the exit. "I heard you acquired a mission. Did you complete it?"

"Of course, Why wouldn't I?"

"Good, that should be the last requirement, right?"

Grover nodded then walked out with Limona to a special door. This door had the image of a griffin carved into it. When Grover neared it, the carving lit up, and the door opened. Afterward, Limona went in a different direction.

The cybernetic griffon walked up to the circular table with an orb in the center. Grover then took out his size-changing metal case and extracted six tubes from it.

"Master Muerte, I have finally returned with the items you seek."

A baleful aura emanated from the spinning orb, spreading to every corner of the room. A dark energy then seeped out from the artifact, forming two large eyes.

A black tentacle wrapped around the six tubes. "Finally, the magic essence of the Elements of Harmony. With this power, I shall revive and escape this dreaded prison created by that cursed Vanlith. You have done well, Grover."

"Of course. So how long until you destroy that seal."

"Vanlith trapped me many millennia ago. It will take me 48 hours until I am free. Now go, do whatever you want, but stay within the vicinity of the island."

"Yes master," Grover bowed and left the chamber with joy on his face.

(To Be Continued.)


	12. Chapter 12: Grace

**Chapter 12: Grace**

Grover arrived into a room, with all the other Bloody Five present. He explained to them all that happened.

Durio smirked when he heard the griffon's story. "Let me get this straight, you made a blunder and got an entire lab destroyed? That is the funniest thing I have ever heard."

Grover snapped back. "Shut up; I underestimated them."

Azurion chimed in on their argument. "It is unlike you to underestimate someone."

"You too, Azurion?" Grover asked.

Grover and Durio continued to bicker, Azurion went back to his room to train, Limona rested, and Robusto did nothing.

Now, there were 48 hours left.

(*****)

Two dragons dashed through the forest, the sun shining upon them. One was tall with vermilion scales, the other short with emerald green scales.

"Sure this is the right way, Drayce?" The big dragon asked

"Of course, Porr; I have spied on them a lot," Drayce said. "Umm, you have a plan once we get there."

"Of course, we will force our way in."

"Seriously? You sure about that?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

Drayce shut his mouth and thought about what Porr said. Though he was confident in Porr's strength, he didn't believe that it was enough, as the bandits numbered over fifty. What he didn't know was that Porr was even stronger than he had thought.

Time passed, and a large camp with watchtowers appeared in front of them.

Before they went any further, Porr asked an unexpected question. "What is your sister like?"

"She is the most beautiful dragoness you will ever see," Drayce said, "She even has a unique ability, which you will see once I find her."

"I see." Drayce pointed towards a nearby bush. "How about we hide in that bush for a while."

Porr and Drayce disappeared behind the woods, looking attentively at the large gates ahead of them. Porr then grabbed a nearby rock and walked right in the open.

Two ponies on a watchtower watched the dragon walk out in the open.

"Huh, who's that?" a brown pony asked.

"Maybe a visitor." another brown pony asked.

"With a giant rock? We should report this."

"Hey, he's doing something..."

Porr winded up his arm and tossed the rock in his claws.

SMASH

Before the bandits could react, the boulder smashed into the gates. Because of the sudden turn of events, it took a few seconds for the most attentive to panic and rang the warning bell.

"Intruders! Intruders!" the panicked bandit on the watchtower said.

It didn't take long for rest to react, and once they did, the thieves ran to their battle positions. They have never heard of someone invading them. Usually, it is them doing the invading.

All the bandits finally arrived at their positions as a fat, scarred pony walked out from a tent and moved towards the destroyed gate.

"What's going on?" the interim leader asked.

"Umm... acting head, a rock destroyed our gates. We are all on high alert, as it may be an invasion," a random bandit said.

"Invasion? Aren't we the ones who invade?" the fat pony asked

"Yes, but there is always a possibility that it is an invasion."

The anger in the interim leader's eyes flashed with brutality. "Invasion or not, who would dare mess with one of Death's Grasps' branches?"

Just before the bandit could reply, an emerald-green dragon appeared in front of the gate and moved towards the center, showing his dignified demeanor.

When the interim leader figured out who it was, he laughed in disdain. "Calm down every pony; it's just the pansy brother of that dragon we captured. What's he going to do?"

It was then that another dragon appeared, but this one didn't look friendly. With a menacing look, his aura pierced through each bandit, making them collapse from fear. When the interim leader stared at the dragon, he didn't faint like the others. However, beads of sweat rolled down his face as he tried to keep awake. 'What the heck is this guy, why is he so intimidating?'

Drayce widened his eyes. "Damn, to think your eyes are enough to take care of them. Oh wait, there is still one more."

Porr ignored the conscious pony. "With this bunch of rabble, there is no need for violence when intimidation is enough."

Shortly after the scare, one of the ponies on the watchtower slowly moved to a loaded bow aimed at Porr. The pony then fired the arrow.

The projectile darted towards Porr, but before the arrow could hit, his tail reached out and grabbed it. The next moment, his eyes stared at the pony.

He swung his tail like a whip which made the arrow fly like a bullet. It passed by millimeters from the bandit's skin, making him faint.

"Now, to find the map."

"You go ahead; I will try to find my sister."

The two dragons separated.

Moments later, Drayce grabbed a torch and walked into a dark prison. He checked all the rooms one by one, but his sister was nowhere in sight. Finally, he walked up to the final room and opened the door. What he found, startled him to the core.

There, lying in front of him, was the skeleton of a dragon emitting a foul stench. Tears filled Drayce's eyes, but when he took a closer look, the pain in his mind slowly resided.

Suddenly, a weak voice sounded from the side. "Drayce? Drayce, is that you?"

Drayce turned his head toward the voice. "Grace? Grace, you're okay."

With torch in claws, Drayce ran as fast as he could. When he waved the light in front of Grace, it revealed the stunning features of the dragoness. With even darker green scales and a beautiful body, it was no wonder the bandits took her. She even looks like Drayce, signaling their sibling status.

Drayce then crushed the shackles holding Grayce. The moment he freed her, the dragoness embrace him into a hug.

Tears also filled her eyes. "Oh, brother, you came to save me, but how did you get past the guards outside."

"I managed to find some help. The helper's name is Porr, and he is powerful. He defeated all the bandits outside; even their leader was no match."

"Oh? Where is he now?"

"He should be outside. I will introduce him to you."

Grace nodded and walked outside with Drayce. Her eyes widened in surprise when they left the prison. All those bandits, who gave her nightmares, laid on the ground unmoving.

Drayce scanned the entire site and saw a big tent with noise coming from inside it. He discerned that Porr was there.

The two siblings walked p to the tent and snuck a peek inside. A big dragon rummaged through the entire tent, turning everything upside down.

"Umm, Porr?" Drayce asked.

Porr stopped searching and turned toward the voice. He saw two dragons at the entrance, one who he didn't know.

Drayce walked inside the tent. "Porr, let me introduce you; This is my sister Grace."

When Grace walked inside and saw Porr, her heart sped up. Her snout turned a rosy pink as she laid eyes on his physique and devilishly good looks.

She stepped forward and lowered her head. "H-H-Hello, thank you for helping my brother. I appreciate it."

"No worries. Now, I need to get back to investigating." Porr then turned his head to Porr. "Now that you have your sister, you can go now."

"Nope, I decided to stay. I want you to train me how to become stronger."

"You expect me to teach you?"

Drayce rapidly nodded his head.

Drayce gave an expected answer. "No."

Disappointment flashed with Drayce, but that didn't stop him from asking again, this time with confidence and vigor.

Drayce's eyes showed resolution. "Please train me."

Porr was about to answer but stopped when he saw Grace heading towards a particular location.

Grace searched through a drawer and pulled out an old looking parchment. She then walked back towards Porr.

She shoved the map in Porr's face. "Now will you train my brother."

When Porr saw the membrane, a feeling in his gut exploded forth. This map was what he was looking for this entire time.

He hastily snatched the map from Grace's claws. "How did you find this."

Drayce jumped for joy. "Didn't I tell you that she had a unique ability. My sister can magically find essential things for others, by connecting with their souls."

Porr gave it some thought. 'Should I take an apprentice? I have taught others how to fight before, and Drayce has much potential.'

"Very well, I shall train you, but there are conditions," Porr said.

Drayce's disappointment disappeared like a residing tide. "Thank you, sis." He then turned towards Porr. "Name them."

Porr held up three claws. "One, you will do what I say. Two, Do not get in my way. Three, you will call me teacher. Got it?"

Drayce saluted. "Yes sir, teacher sir."

With a dragoness tagging along, they left the camp.

The sun was still up, so Porr started to teach the young dragon. "Alright, for our first lesson, you will do 150 push-ups and 150 sit-ups. You are fast, but you need to build body strength before we start fighting."

"Yes, Teacher." Drayce got down and began the training.

Porr stared at the green dragon then sat down in meditation while Grace watched him.

Time passed, and Drayce just completed his workout. He dashed up to Porr and asked what to do next, waking the meditating dragon up.

"Good." Porr pointed at a boulder. "Now carry that rock and jump for 30 minutes."

Drayce grimaced when he heard his teacher. "Yes, teacher."

After that, Porr told his student to do many things, but not one of them was about fighting. Before they knew it, night fell.

Three dragons sat around a blazing campfire, each one of them doing their own thing. Drayce did body training while Porr watched and Grace just stared at Porr.

"Not ye yet, 100 more push ups then you can sleep." Porr acted like a drill sergeant.

Sweat dripped down Drayce scales. "Yes... Teacher."

Porr nodded and walked toward Grace.

Grace noticed Porr coming. 'Oh, he is coming here. What should I say to him.'

"You like the fire?" Porr asked while sitting down.

"Umm... it's bright and warm."

Porr didn't say anything and stared at the fire in a trance.

"So... how did you lose your arm?" Grace asked, hoping to break the ice.

"I lost it to a powerful foe named Azurion. It was a great blow to my pride." Sadness and anger then filled Porr's eyes "Not only that, he killed my grandfather."

Grayce almost cried. "That's horrible. Why would this Azurion fellow do such a thing."

"I don't know the details, but my grandfather tried to fight him off. Although I didn't see Azurion kill him, I felt it in the depths of my soul. Immediately after, I rushed toward the fight with uncontrollable anger; I overreacted and almost got myself killed."

Grayce noticed the hatred in Porr's eyes. Without even realizing it, she hugged him. Moments later, she immediately let go, embarrassed by her actions. Porr coughed and stirred at the fire.

"Teacher, I have finished my push..." Drayce tried to tell his teacher something, but he collapsed before he could so.

Grace then asked an unexpected question. "Do you know what its like to have parents?"

Porr stopped what he was doing when he heard those words. He opened his mouth but did not say anything. His expression instantly went cold.

"I can tell you don't know anything; you are just like us. To tell the truth, we are orphans."

Porr didn't know what happened within his mind when Grace said those words. The coldness in his heart resided, and he did not feel as angry anymore.

"Our parents died shortly after our hatching, ever since then, we have lived on our own."

"At least you knew them; I don't have any recollection of my biological parents. I asked my foster grandfather many times, but he kept changing the topic."

"Enough talking, we should go to sleep."

Grace lied down and said, "Yeah."

Porr contemplated a little more, but before he could go to sleep, a terrifying omen swept through his mind, making him shiver. After an hour, he finally went to sleep.

(To Be Continued.)


	13. Chapter 13: Location of Vanlith's Tomb

**Chapter 13: Location of Vanlith's Tomb**

The sun broke past the horizon, giving light to the peaceful forest below. Three dragons slept soundly by a fizzled campfire. Porr was the first one to wake up.

He stretched while thinking about last night. He took glances at the sleeping siblings, before walking up to one of them. He grabbed a nearby stick and whacked Drayce on the nose.

"Rise and shine, grasshopper, we have training."

Drayce woke up and rubbed his snout "Already? But it's early."

"No buts, do some warm ups then report back to me."

The commotion woke Grace up. "Seriously? If I don't get my beauty sleep, my scales will pale."

"Get ready; we will be moving later. We should reach the Dragon Lands by noon."

Drayce finished his warm ups and started the exercises his teacher told him to do. However, his master, Porr, did something unexpected.

He grabbed a long stick. "We will learn a few fighting techniques shortly. The spear is what I specialize in, so I will teach you spear techniques."

Drayce was shocked. "But don't I need to build my body first?"

"No time." Porr threw the stick at Drayce. "Pick it up."

Drayce picked up the stick and followed Porr's instructions.

"Spears are long, so they are ideal for mid-range fighting. You can thrust, sweep and even throw it at your targets."

Drayce listened with utmost attention as the knowledge within Porr's brain passed into his.

It didn't take long for the emerald green dragon to learn spear techniques. The amount of diligence he put in surprised his teacher and soon, he could display them decently.

'As I thought, his potential in spear techniques is incredible. it's like it was destiny for me to take him under my wing.' Porr did not regret making that decision.

Grace looked at Porr and thought about last night. It was the first time she talked about her parents to another other than her brother. Her eyes fell in a trance as the dark green dragoness remembered the time the bandits took her. The look of horror on her face and the torture she went through afterward, made her spine shiver.

Porr thought that demonstration wouldn't work much longer, so he decided to find targets for Drayce to fight. He left the vicinity for a while and lured fifteen timberwolves over.

"Drayce, I found these timber wolves you can spar against."

Fear filled Drayce. "Timberwolves? Are you kidding me?"

Porr chuckled and took Grace along with him. "Haha, good luck."

"Teacher?" Drayce stared down his opponents. "No, Teacher trusts me. I must do this without his help."

The wolves noticed the dragon ahead of them, and they all pounced at once. Drayce then brandished his stick and struck it out like a serpent.

However, at the moment of impact, the wolves won the battle, forcing Drayce to hit a nearby rock. He lost his confidence and tried calling for help, but Porr wasn't around. He saw them coming once again.

Just when drayce lost all confidence, he realized something. If he can't win through power, then he can only win with what he is best at, speed. He was fast and agile.

His agility combined with the techniques Porr taught, fused together in harmony. Realizing his newfound confidence, he disappeared then reappeared beside a timberwolf. His spear thrust out, destroying the target. He vanished again and repeated the same process. He didn't stop until they all dismantled.

"Teacher, I did..." Before Drayce could finish, the timberwolves reconstructed themselves, but this time, they all fused into one giant timber wolf.

Drayce did not let fear get the better of him. He stood his ground and brandished his stick. With a mighty yell, he rushed at the big creature.

Meanwhile, behind a nearby bush, Porr, and Grace watched.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Grace asked.

"Nah, he's got this," Porr said. "Don't tell him, but he has enormous potential. He already knows the basics, so he just needs to build his strength and gain experience."

"If that's the case, I should cheer him on."

Back at the fight, Drayce used his speed to wear down the timber wolf. After several minutes, he landed the finishing blow. Finally, he used his flame breath to burn the separate pieces, killing them.

Porr got out from behind the bush and congratulated his apprentice. They all talked for a while before heading off to the Dragon Lands.

Noon arrived, and just as Porr said, they arrived at the Dragon Lands.

The many dragons that flew across the landscape was a sight to behold. However, they didn't come to sightsee.

Porr grabbed the map out of a pouch and read its contents. On the chart, the dotted lines lead to a small mountain.

Doubt flashed in Porr's eyes. "Hang on; this map doesn't make sense."

The two dragons listened and opened their mouths in surprise. Was the plan fake?

Porr put the map back in his pouch and left. "Oh well, we can just ask the locals."

Drayce and Grace nodded and followed Porr deeper into the Dragon Lands.

Moments later, a big dragon appeared in front of them. "Never seen you before."

"Yeah, we're new. Have you heard of a dragon named Vanlith?"

"Can't say I have, but first, tell me your names." The big dragon said.

"Right. My name is Porr, and the two siblings behind me are Drayce and Grace."

When Porr said his name, it shocked the giant dragon. 'Porr? Is this destiny? Those scales and those eyes look eerily similar to him.'

Drayce spoke out with no warning. "You okay? Mind telling us your name."

"Of course, my name is Aeris. How about I show you around," Aeris said, snapping out of his daze.

Porr smiled. "Sounds good."

Porr, Drayce, and Grace followed Aeris around.

While touring, Porr taught his student some advanced spear techniques. The effort Drayce put in surprised him. He even did a little demonstration.

Porr grabbed his spear from his back, sweeping it through the air. The fast thrusts and sweeps he performed were all incredible, despite having one arm. The rocks surrounding him all disintegrated, even space seemed to tear. This demonstration was the first time he seriously used Dominance, so he wanted to try the polearm on a living target.

As if his wishes came true, a giant worm with sharp rotating teeth appeared from the ground, shocking all the nearby dragons. The other big dragons, including Aeris, prepared to fight, but an invisible force stopped them. This energy came from Porr.

Porr's dormant lust for battle erupted from within him. Golden stripes appeared on his back while a marking snaked its way up his right arm. The mysterious transformation appeared once again.

Drayce widened his eyes in disbelief, shivering from the thought of having a grand master. Grace became even more infatuated with him.

The worm sensed Porr's bloodlust and charged straight at him. Likewise, the dragon charged straight at the demon.

Porr's arm glowed, and three chains came out, restraining his enemy from moving. He then brandished his spear. As the spear struck out, it shone, becoming even more domineering than before.

Porr flew into the worm's mouth, piercing its insides. He then sliced its entire head. The chains faded, and the creature smashed into the ground.

Moments later, a dragon walked out of its flesh. He stood there like a deity, his power overwhelming everything.

Shortly, the map in Porr's pouch glowed. He took it out and discovered that it changed. He realized that this was the real location of Vanlith's tomb and it was not in the Dragon Lands, but the Badlands.

Porr calmed down as the gold stripes and marking disappeared. The bystanders didn't snap out of it for a while, as what they witnessed was beyond their comprehension.

"Drayce, Grace, we are leaving," Porr said.

"Why?" Drayce asked.

"What I am looking for is not here." Porr then turned to Aeris. "Thanks for everything, Aeris."

"No problem." Aeris became slightly scared of the dragon in front him. "It's getting late, why not stay and leave at dawn."

Porr nodded. "We are slightly tired, so I guess one night won't hurt."

"Excellent, follow me," Aeris said.

Aeris led the three dragons into a crater and stayed for the night. The night passed, and quickly, it was dawn.

Porr bid everyone farewell and left for the Badlands.

(*****)

The Badlands; A hot and arid climate filled with many dangers. Three dragons walked across it while a storm blew through. Porr wasn't affected, but the siblings had to stay behind him, hoping to get rid of the heat and wind.

"This is far too much, when will it stop," Drayce said.

"No clue, but we will have to endure it because that feeling I got from that night is getting stronger," Porr said, shielding the siblings.

Porr spotted a cave in the distance, so he decided to rest there.

Time passed, and the storm finally stopped. Porr grabbed the map and read its contents. The chart depicted a massive structure in the middle. With a nod, Porr and the sibling set out once again.

Soon, they reached a chasm and judging by the map; they needed to cross it. However, the only thing connecting the two sides was a thin and weak looking bridge.

But they were dragons and thus only had to fly over. Just before the opened their wings, small scorpions appeared below the travelers and stung them, penetrating their scales. Unfortunately, this species' venom could instantly paralyze 100 adult dragons with just a single drop.

Without control over their bodies, gravity took over, so they fell into the dark abyss below.

(To Be Continued.)


	14. Chapter 14: the Trials

**Chapter 14: The Trials**

Porr, Drayce, and Grace plummeted into the dark abyss, falling for who knows how long.

Thump!

The three paralyzed dragons crashed onto the cold hard ground below, surrounded by pitch black darkness. They couldn't see in front of them, not to mention each other.

Porr broke free from the paralyzation first. He lit a bright flame inside his mouth and tried to find the others. However, he found nothing, but rocks and bugs.

"That's odd," Porr said, scratching his head. "I'm sure I heard them fall nearby."

Since Porr couldn't find his student or the student's sister, he hoped for their safety.

Porr then took out a map and looked at it once more. "Hmm, what is with that deviation in the path? Maybe I should've taken a left turn."

With nothing to do, Porr put the map back and wondered.

Soon, a vicious aura appeared behind Porr, making him shiver. He turned around, and what he witnessed made him angry.

The scenery changed from darkness to apocalyptic. Azurion stood on top of a hill, raising his weapon at someone collapsed beneath him. That barely conscious figure looked just like Elder Lot.

Porr yelled at the top of his lungs, but it was too late. Azurion's weapon struck down with enough force to destroy a mountain, killing Lot.

Porr let out a mighty roar and charged toward Azurion. "DAMN YOU, MONSTER!"

Azurion shifted his cold eyes toward the angered dragon as a murderous aura seeped out.

Porr then stopped in his tracks, replacing his anger with fear. "What the heck? Why did I freeze? My instincts are telling me to go forward, but I just can't, and this aura is too much."

Fortunately, Porr didn't have to experience it for too long. The scene faded, then changed into another.

As Porr barely managed to get his act together, the setting turned into a white void.

A figure appeared in front of the confused dragon. He looked exactly like Porr, but with dark scales, and his deep crimson eyes shone like a demonic being. What was even stranger was the appearance of two arms.

"Who are you?" Porr asked.

"I am you of course. Just call me Dark Porr," Dark Porr said with a smirk.

"Me? Are you like my evil side or something?"

"Sort of, I am the very amalgamation of you negative emotions." Dark Porr raised his claws sideways. "It is thanks to this environment that I can talk to you."

"Let me guess; I am supposed to fight you or something."

Dark Porr shook his head. "Fighting won't be necessary. If you just give me control of your body, I can break this illusion that binds us, your friends too."

"I refuse," The determination in Porr's eyes rose.

Dark Porr pulled back his arm, getting ready to punch. "Sigh. I conclude that I need to take your body by force.

Porr also readied a punch, getting ready for a hard battle. The two punches then came at each other like two unstoppable forces.

BANG.

As both punches collided, it caused a tremor which made space tremble. Now, Dark Porr's other arm came surging towards Porr. However, Porr did not have two arms, so he could only take the hit.

The punch launched Porr away like a meteor. He then dug his claws into the ground, slowing his speed. Next, the spear on his back appeared in his right claw.

Dark Porr noticed Porr's movement, so he also drew his weapon. His spear looks exactly like Porr's only black.

They both charged at each other.

With a mighty yell, Porr struck out his weapon, colliding with his opponent's. The force of the collision was even more immense than their last bout. Space twisted, and the illusion encompassing them was on the verge of destruction. He then transformed, and the power behind his attack increased twofold.

Dark Porr transformed as well. Dark purple stripes appeared on his body, and a marking appeared on his right arm. Likewise, the strength of his strike doubled, cracking the surrounding area.

Within the crumbling space, Porr managed to gain the upper hand. His spear broke through Dark Porr's defenses, piercing him through his chest.

Porr leaped back, putting away his weapon and extending his arm. "Give up, Dark Porr. I will not let you acquire my body."

The stripes on Dark Porr's body faded. "Fine, you got the better of me, but remember this; The moment you are emotionally weak, or on the verge of death, I will return."

Moments later, Porr conjured a single chain. It wrapped up his dark self and absorbed the negative emotions.

It was then that Porr noticed the weak space. He yelled, breaking the illusion. Later, two windows appeared in front of him, one with Drayce and one with Grace.

 **(*****)**

Simultaneously, in a different part of the abyss, Drayce became free of the paralyzation. He didn't like the darkness, and with neither Grace or his teacher by his side, fear crept up on him like a phantom.

"Teacher, Sis, where are you!?" Drayce asked, making an echo. "I guess we got separated."

As Drayce made a makeshift torch, he came upon an image on the ground. The mural showed a white and gold dragon wielding a weapon. The opposite side signified an evil being, which looked like a weird tentacle creature. He looked at it but did not know what it meant.

Drayce didn't take it to mind and kept on moving forward. Minutes later, two figures stood in front of Drayce, making him tear up. These weren't tears of sadness, but tears of joy.

"It's okay, Drayce, we are here for you."

The tears finally burst out of Drayce's eyes. "Mom... Dad...!" But when he got closer, his parents faded away.

Drayce knelt down in frustration. "What? Was it just an illusion? This damned place is messing with my emotions."

As Drayce sulked, another illusion appeared in front of him. Porr was in it.

"A coward like you ain't worth my time," Porr said with disdain in his eyes.

"Huh!?" Drayce looked toward the hallucination. "Now Teacher is disowning me."

"What do you expect? The thought of myself ever taking you as my apprentice fill my bones with regret." Porr turned and walked away and said before disappearing. "See you never, wimp."

Drayce ran after the fading dragon. "Wait... Come back."

Porr faded completely. All Drayce could do was cry some more. Before long, another image emerged; Along with it, a feminine voice.

"I am disappointed in you Brother," the voice said.

"Grace? Even you think I am worthless?" Drayce asked. "Why would you say that? I saved you."

"Maybe, but you never attempted to rescue me yourself." Grace closed her eyes in contempt. "You relied on outside help. Do you know how long I waited in that hideous dungeon?"

"I... I'm sorry, but I was too—."

Grace shot an angry glare. "Hmph, those are just excuses. You are not my brother."

Grace then faded into nothingness, leaving Drayce confused and depressed.

Another voice pierced through the void, one with warmth and familiarity. "What are you doing?"

A claw came out of nowhere which made the illusion shatter like glass. A dragon stood there like a mountain. It was Porr.

"B... But you sai—"

"Don't worry, Drayce." Porr placed his claw on his student's head. " what you saw was just your fear taking a grip on you. I witnessed everything, and I would never say that. The same goes for Grace."

Drayce apologized as he watched his teacher wave his arm. A window materialized out of thin air and within that window was a beautiful dark green dragon.

 **(*****)**

Earlier, in another location, Grace laid on the floor with bruises covering her. The paralyzation took the longest in her body, so she didn't move for a while. After some time, the condition faded, and she could move and speak once again.

The frightened Grace strugglingly stood up and observed the blackness. It reminded her of the time she spent in that dungeon and even had visions of it. Her breathing became heavy. Tears welled up in her eyes as she wanted to be with her brother and Porr.

Thoughts of solitude circulated through Grace's mind like a tide, but then, she heard a voice.

"Grace, I finally found you," the voice said.

Grace's fear immediately washed away when she saw where that voice was. It was Porr. She rushed to him and embraced the dragon in front of her. However, when she touched him, the life in her eyes slowly disappeared as Porr smirked.

"Good, I have a question," Porr said, staring into Grace's eyes. "Will you marry me?"

Grace's lifeless eyes looked up at Porr. "But, I haven't even known you for 48 hours. Is it appropriate?"

"Why not!" With a wave of Porr's claws, Grace's surroundings turned into a beautiful festival.

As the ceremony started, Grace felt a shiver. She turned to a blank space.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Porr asked.

"Of course, just a little shocked is all."

"That's gre—"

Before Porr could finish his sentence, a spear pierced his body, making him phase in and out.

A familiar voice then resounded through the illusion. "Sorry, but consider this party trashed."

When Grace heard those words, she turned around and saw another Porr. The lifelessness in her eyes returned to normal as her mind cleared. The real Porr stood behind her along with Drayce.

Grace's tears gushed out once again. "P... Porr, is it you?"

Porr looked down at Grace and smiled. "Don't worry; you got caught up in your fantasy, which I honestly found creepy."

Those words made Grace crestfallen.

It wasn't long until the deception deteriorated completely and the scenery reformed. This time, The three dragons stood in front of a cliff wall. On it was a giant door with marks depicting a mighty dragon.

The gut feeling inside Porr trembled ferociously. "I think I know what this place is."

"What do you mean, Teacher?" Drayce asked.

"Yeah, it's got to be that place." Porr pointed at the gate. "I am talking about Vanlith's Tomb."

Porr's companions could not believe their eyes. They never expected it would be this grand.

Porr walked up to the cliff and activated his powers. As he transformed, the entrance shone with bright intensity. It was so blinding that it formed a giant pillar of light.

Meanwhile, in Muerte's lair, an intense aura permeated through the entire island.

Muerte's energy form appeared out of his prison, eyes brimming with hostility and a tinge of fear. "This magic, it couldn't be. Why is Vanlith's tomb opening? Has _'that'_ appeared in this world once again? No matter, there is less than 24 hours left until I'm free."

With that said, Muerte slipped back into the orb.

Back in the abyss, the light quickly dispersed, opening the door with a low rumbling sound.

Porr and his comrades entered the hidden structure. As they strode in, torches lined up in ordinary matter, lighting up with every step they took. Surrounding them were murals, each depicting a significant battle.

Suddenly, Porr heard a voice. "Welcome, successor, to my resting place."

"Successor?! Me?!" Porr asked, confused.

"Who else could it be." Another door opened in front of Porr. "Come, we don't have much time, but your friends should stay where they are."

Porr looked at the two siblings. "You guys should stay here. The voice is telling me to walk through alone. Later." He then strolled into the doorway, which disappeared the moment he was out of sight.

"Oh, whatever you say, Teacher," Drayce said.

Grace chimed in with worry on her face. "Yeah, be safe."

(To Be Continued.)


	15. Chapter 15: Memory Trip

**Chapter 15: Memory Trip**

Inside a magical room, a vermilion scaled dragon stood upright, staring at a shiny metal statue. The sculpture depicted a grand dragon with intricate details. Even though it had stayed there for many years, it didn't lose its luster.

"I am here, mysterious voice guy. What is it that you wanted to talk about with me."

An almost familiar and feminine voice sounded from the statue. "Mysterious? Don't you remember my voice?"

Upon hearing that voice, Porr remembered something. "Ah, you're the voice that spoke to me back then. Vanlith, was it? But why is your voice slightly different."

A ghostly visage with feminine features floated outside the sculpture. "Correct, I am Vanlith, Vanlith Covoat. Again, I welcome you to my tomb. As for my voice, I like to trick others."

Surprise flashed across his eyes. "Woah, didn't know you were female, and you have a weird last name."

"My last name is anything but weird." Vanlith coldly stared at Porr. "I will have you know it belongs to a highly prestigious dragon clan."

"And what is this Covoat Clan? How come I never heard of them?" Porr asked.

"You will know soon enough, but first let's get down to business." Vanlith's entire body wisped out of the statue. "You know those trials you faced?"

"The illusions? So they were trials."

"You barely passed. Not to mention, you also interfered with the trials of your companions."

"What do you mean?" Porr said with an angry look, "That I can't help my friends?"

"Sure, it is nice to help others, but how would they grow on their own?"

"If this is what you want to talk about, then I'm leaving." Porr then turned around and marched toward the exit.

Vanlith's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. "That won't be so easy. After so much trouble, do you think I'll just let you leave? You have a purpose."

The exit disappeared, trapping Porr within the room. The sudden turn of events made him grind his teeth in anger.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

Ghostly chains appeared from the statue. "Simple, you have a mission, and I will force you to accomplish it."

Seeing the tentacles charging towards him, Porr activated his power. An immense aura surged from him, making the limbs fade away. He brandished his spear and rushed toward the ghost.

"Child's play," Vanlith said, forming a barrier in front of her.

Porr's weapon collided with the wall. The resulting energy gushed outward and permeated every nook and cranny. After a few moments, the shield blasted the vermilion scaled dragon away.

Surprise shone through his eyes. "I don't get it, how was I repelled so quickly?"

Vanlith deactivated her barrier. "Hmph, just because I am dead doesn't mean I have no power."

"What do you want?" Seeing that there was no escape, Porr listened to what Vanlith had to say.

"Have you heard of Muerte?"

"Muerte? you mean the boss of the Bloody Five?"

Light glowed from the statue. "Precisely, I have some information on him. But first, you must accept your duty." Vanlith said as the light shone even brighter.

The light then surrounded Porr, making him panic. "Wha... What's going on?"

"You will travel back in time to my youth and experience what I experienced. In turn, you might gain knowledge of Muerte and maybe find a way to destroy him."

"But what about my friends?"

"Don't worry, while you are gone, time will seem to slow down."

Before Porr could say anything else, he disappeared within the light. A cold, dark atmosphere filled the room once again.

"I hope he can succeed," Vanlith said before disappearing back into the statue.

 **(*****)**

At an unknown location and time of Equestria, a huge palace floated above a rigid mountain, looking down on the territory below. Dragons were everywhere here, going in and out as they please. Nearby that mansion, a small dingy cave rested inside the mountain.

Within that cave, a young carmine dragoness slept soundly, as if nothing in the world could wake her. A flash of light brightened the place for a split second, then faded away as quickly as it appeared.

Porr's soul entered the dragoness' body, but he couldn't do anything. He soon realized that he was just an observer.

The dragoness woke up and felt a weird sensation deep within her. However, Before she could think further, a blaring horn sounded outside her home. Following the sound, two sturdy dragon guards with intimidating weapons stood in front of it, extruding powerful auras.

The guard on the left squinted his eyes. "Vanlith Covoat, Patriarch Rigas has summoned you to his quarters."

"I will go at once." When Vanlith heard that name, a slight killing intent leaked out of her eyes, but she pushed it back.

As the two guards and Vanlith marched towards the big building, laughs of contempt drifted into her ears.

"Oh look, it's that weakling."

"Yeah, I heard she failed the bloodline ceremony 100 years ago."

"Well, she isn't called Legendary Trash for nothing."

Porr watched everything that was going on around Vanlith. From the disdainful comments to the outright taunting, nothing escaped from him.

"Wow, never thought she had a rough time. I feel sorry for her," Porr said, "But still, this Covoat Clan was majestic in the past."

As time passed, the two guards escorting Vanlith arrived at a massive gate. With a mighty yell, the entrance opened. Then, they continued marching toward the palace above the mountain peak.

When they reached the summit, their wings furled open. They flew upwards and entered the building itself.

Inside the grand structure, many pillars jutted upwards, each one made of beautiful stone. There were also many doors with numerous dragons passing through, but there was one door which outclassed the rest. With a glamorous marking, it was a sight to behold.

A powerful voice boomed from behind the door. "ENTER!"

The two guards opened the doorway, revealing the figures inside. A huge dragon sat in the middle. His scales glimmered with a sharp light as if they were weapons. Just one look into his gaze is enough to make any dragon, no matter how brave, bow down in reverence. He was the patriarch of the Covoat Clan, Rigas Covoat.

Beside him was a familiar dragon. When Porr saw him, his eyes turned into full moons.

He had crimson scales as well, but they weren't nearly as dazzling as the patriarch's scales. His spikes ran down his body and looked as if he was important to his superior. This dragon was Rethyl, but much younger.

This revelation greatly confused Porr. "Grandfather was here? If he knew about this stuff, why didn't he tell me?"

The two guards immediately bowed down; the only one standing was Vanlith.

"Hey Dad," Vanlith said, "You called?"

"My precious daughter, a matter of great importance has arrived." Rigas picked up a blue orb. "Those ice lizards from the far south are coming here."

"The Permafrost Clan, lead by Patriarch Permafrost is coming here?!"

"Yes, although we fire dragons don't get along with ice dragons, they are still a revered bunch, so we must give them face. They will arrive in 3 months, so get ready."

"Of course," Vanlith walked out of the chamber. "Later, Dad."

Porr realized something that he did not want to go through. "No! I don't want to wait three months. Is there any way to speed this up?"

Time went faster, and before Porr knew it, he was sent forward in time.

This time, Vanlith was much older and sitting by her side was an ice blue dragon. His name was Cryo, an ice dragon.

Porr appeared within Vanlith's mind once again, and when he witnessed that sight, he almost puked.

"Great, now I get romance? Pass," Porr said with disgust. "But still, an ice dragon and a fire dragon together? That makes no sense whatsoever."

"Stay with me forever, Cryo, only you can deal with this pain in my heart."

"There there, I won't leave you," Cryo said while embracing Vanlith, "You are the most beautiful dragoness I have ever seen, and just like me, you failed the ceremony."

The two leaned in for a kiss, but before it could happen, time changed. The spell sent Porr even further through time.

Now, Porr wasn't inside Vanlith's mind this time. As his soul materialized out of thin air, he witnessed a life-changing event. Right in front of him was a war zone, filled with the stench of blood. It was a battle between the Covoat Clan and an unknown evil, with the latter winning.

The sound of weapons clashing, and bodies collapsing made Porr close his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, he saw a giant black creature in the sky.

A voice, louder than thunder emanated from the palace. "Muerte! You dare invade my clan?" The owner of that voice was Rigas Covoat.

The creature in the sky was Muerte. The same Muerte that, in the future, would threaten Equestria.

All these recent revelations made Porr confused even more. Nonetheless, he managed to think of something.

Muerte didn't respond to Rigas's question. All it did was destroy the remaining forces. It's large mouth opened wide like a black hole, sucking in all matter around it.

Rigas couldn't stand ignoration, so he let loose intense crimson flames. The fire reached extreme temperatures as it spiraled its way towards Muerte's mouth. Unfortunately, Muerte's gaping maw inhaled the attack like it was breakfast.

Rigas' face contorted at the sight of his opponent nullifying his technique. _"Muerte is stronger than the legends suggest; A creature made from a primordial substance is indeed a fearsome force of nature. Even if I transform, I may not be able to defeat him. All I can do now is sacrifice myself to save my daughter and trusted aide."_

The mighty patriarch regained his conviction and flew towards the ancient creature. He then transformed into his battle mode while roaring with high intensity. "Very well, I will let you devour me, but don't complain if I give you a bad stomach ache."

As Vanlith watched her father sacrifice himself from inside the palace, she screamed as tears dripped down from her eyes. "Father... NOOO!"

The war was over. Muerte devoured Rigas, and the darkness crept even closer to the building, but Muerte didn't do anything afterward. His aura grew weaker as he became 100 times smaller, so small, he transformed into an Alicorn.

Muerte, in his new form, gritted his teeth and spoke in a raspy voice. "Damn, that dragon used all his power to make me weaker, resulting in this body. At least my army won, and that terrifying clan is no more."

Meanwhile, as Porr witness everything that happened, he didn't speak for a while. Suddenly, the spell transported him inside the castle. He saw Vanlith crying and Rethyl trying to comfort her.

"Lady Vanlith, we must leave immediately. It's too dangerous here."

"NO! I won't leave." Vanlith held back her tears and took out an egg-shaped object inside her pouch. "Take this egg and retreat. I don't know when it will hatch, but promise me you will take care of the child once it does."

Rethyl hesitantly took the egg. "What are you planning?"

"I will convert my grief into power and battle Muerte. I may not be able to kill him, but I can seal him away for all eternity with one of our sacred treasures."

"You don't mean... the Evil Sealing Orb. No way, you aren't strong enough."

Vanlith silently gathered all the power in her body. "Be quiet and just leave."

With the grief of losing her father, an extraordinary aura emanated from Vanlith. She summoned the Evil Sealing Orb, which hovered above her claws. She yelled and transformed into the same form as her father.

Muerte noticed the incoming threat, making him frown in anger.

Porr wanted to watch this final battle, but before he could do so, everything went white.

 **(*****)**

After some time, the spell deactivated, and Porr woke up in the same room he was in before.

The statue in front of him flashed as a ghost floated out of it. "Welcome back, Porr, mind telling me what you saw?"

"I saw many things, most of it not even making sense, but there is one thing that I understand."

"Oh, and what is that?"

Porr powered up as he revealed a confident smile. "I know how to destroy Muerte."

(To be Continued.)


	16. Chapter 16: Opening to Battle

**Chapter 16: Opening to Battle**

In a dark room, A ghostly dragon smiled at another dragon.

"I see," Vanlith said, "But are you strong enough to do it?"

Porr clenched his right claws. "No, in fact, my original purpose is to get stronger, so I can avenge my grandfather."

When Vanlith heard Porr, she closed her pale eyes as a small unnoticeable tear left them. The pain of remembering a lost loved one affected even ghosts.

Vanlith opened her eyes and explained to Porr about his training. "Okay, since you want to acquire power so much, I have an excellent little training regime waiting for you. You will step inside a separate dimension created with the last reserves of my magic. Inside, time will slow down drastically making one decade in there, and only one hour out here. Also, it will only last for five hours. You get all that?"

"Wait, last reserves of your magic? What will happen afterward?"

Vanlith closed her eyes. "My soul will disappear, and I will be able to reunite with my clan."

"Alright, I accept the training, but first, what happened to that last battle between you and Muerte?" Porr asked, curious about what went down.

Vanlith nodded and said, "Well, thanks to the Evil Sealing Orb and the element of surprise, I managed to trap him. However, he mortally injured me. Afterward, I found this place and made it my tomb."

"Another question; What are the sacred treasures?"

"As you noticed, the Evil Sealing Orb is one of them. There is also a blue stone and a weapon, both which Rethyl took." The ghostly dragoness then pointed at Porr's weapon. "In fact, that spear on your back is one of them."

Porr's jaw dropped as he grabbed his spear. He looked at it in a new light. "Also, is there a legend of Muerte? I want to know more about him."

"There is, but it's vague. All it says is that Muerte is a great devourer from a far away place and born from a primordial substance. Wherever he goes, carnage follows. It is unknown what created him, but he has existed since time immemorial."

"That means, it will be hard to kill him." Porr then closed his eyes and pondered for a while.

Afterward, he opened them and spoke with resoluteness. "That is all I needed to know. I am ready for the training, but I must bring those two along."

"Not a problem," Vanlith said pointing at the dragon, "Allow me to create the room now. Oh, and one more thing."

A mysterious energy wrapped around Porr's left shoulder. Moments later, bones and muscles appeared from the old wound with scales covering it. His missing arm had regrown fully, filling him with joy. Afterward, a ball of magic entered his head. This orb contained everything Vanlith wanted to explain.

Vanlith then gathered all her remaining power and opened a dimensional portal in front of her. Next, she opened the door behind Porr, allowing entrance for Drayce and Grace.

The two siblings noticed Porr and ran straight towards him. Since they were bored, they were happy to see him.

Porr explained everything. From his experiences to the revelations, he didn't skip a single detail. After he finished talking, he and his companions walked through the gateway, which closed a few moments later.

As Vanlith watched on, the aura surrounding her grew fainter. "Did you see that, Dear? Our child has grown up into a healthy young dragon; he even has friends. I am sure he can avenge my clan."

Vanlith said her last word as the ghostly appearance disappeared completely, leaving behind a dark empty room.

(*****)

Inside the separate space, Porr and his comrades looked at the scenery before them. There was no life, only rocks and volcanoes dotted the landscape.

While Drayce and his sister commented on the barrenness, Porr stood in a trance. He just realized something important, and that something gripped his heart.

Drayce was the first to notice. "Are you okay, Teacher?"

Porr didn't listen and continued staring until Grace spoke.

"Something is bothering you. Thanks to my power, I can tell you found something dear to you."

Porr snapped out of it as tears filled his eyes. He then said in an emotional tone, "I just realized that Vanlith is my biological mother. If only I figured it out earlier, I would've spent some time with her."

Surprise flashed across Drayce's face. "For real? In that case, you must be thousands of years old."

"Not really," Porr said, wiping his tears, "I'm only 1200 years old."

"I get it, you must have stayed in your egg for a long time," Grace said.

"Maybe," Porr said, "Grandfather never told me the details before my birth. But enough about that, we need to start training. After all, we only have fifty years."

"Drayce, you can continue your spear training, so try to learn without me around." Porr then turned to Grace. "Grace, if you can train that ability of yours to a high level, you can accomplish many things. As for myself, I will go somewhere far away. Both of you might not see me until the fifty years is up."

"Why not, Teacher," Drayce said with concern, "Where are you going?"

"I need to take care of something that has been bothering me for a while." Porr unfurled his wings and flew towards the north. "See you later!"

The siblings nodded and began their respective duties.

Later, inside a hot volcano, Porr sat down to meditate. While pondering, his spiritual form materialized in front of a chained black dragon, sleeping deep inside his subconsciousness.

Porr tried to get his attention. "Hey there, dark me, been a while."

Dark Porr opened his eyes and said in a husky voice, "Porr? What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, I am letting you go," Porr said, trying to undo the seal.

The moment Dark Porr heard those words, he unleashed his aura and shouted desperately. "Go? Hahahaha, have you finally given into enough despair that you are willing to let me have your body?"

Porr, however, wasn't fazed by his dark self's taunts. "Tsk, tsk. It is the opposite of what you are thinking, Dark Porr. I am only letting you go so I can tame you. As you said, together we can be much stronger."

"You want to tame me, the very fusion of all your negative emotions? Will you be able to accomplish that?"

"We will just see." Just as Porr said those words, the bindings around Dark Porr disappeared.

Immediately after, Dark Porr lunged toward Porr with all his might. By charging a moment after release, he wanted to give his opponent no time to breathe.

However, Porr prepared beforehand for such an occasion. He gripped his spear with his newly regenerated claws and parried the blow. The combined power blew both of them back

They charged at each other again, but this time, their weapons collided many times. The exchange lasted for only a few seconds before Porr finally got the first hit.

As the enemy stabilized his body, Porr entered into that state once again. At the same time, information flooded his mind which detailed the transformation.

"So that's it," Porr said, realizing the name of this power. "Battle Mode."

Porr's body grew brighter with a faint shade of white. He knew this wasn't the limit, but he couldn't go any further without training.

Dark Porr noticed the change. He dropped his spear and gathered all his power in his claws. The lethal claw descended at high speed.

Porr tried to block the oncoming attack with his weapon, but he was too slow. The attack left three potentially fatal scratches on his chest. The wounds instantly healed after a few seconds, enabling Porr to counter-attack.

The two dragons rushed once again by clasping their claws together in a deadlock. The battle would last for quite a while.

(*****)

Meanwhile, in Canterlot, the four alicorns, and some military officials were planning an attack on the Bloody Five's hideout. Twilight felt an ominous pressure increasing and determined it as a danger.

On the table laid a map and on it was a circle in which there was a small island.

"Judging from the intel, I gathered from that lab, their base of operations lies in this area," Twilight said, placing her hoof over the marked area.

A general doubted Twilight. "That's odd. I have sailed near that island many times, and all I ever see is a forest and some ruins. You sure you're not wasting our time?"

The others all agreed and expressed their doubts as well.

Twilight didn't back down and continued to convince with confidence. "Respected Sirs, I assure you the location is real. The enemy must have some method of concealment, and I have a way to break it."

All the officials gathered in a circle whispering to each other. When they finished, they turned to look at the four princesses with the general speaking. "Alright, we talked it over and will believe you, but first I have a question. If what you say about this Bloody Five group correct, wouldn't it be suicide for us?"

Twilight smirked. "Don't worry; we have a valuable ally."

"Well then, I will make the arrangements. What time do we leave?"

"The spell will weaken at dawn; That's when we strike."

The officials all nodded and left the conference room, leaving only the four Princesses.

"Did I do alright?" Twilight asked.

"Of course, Twilight," Celestia said, "I understand the need for an attack. You feel something wrong, don't you."

"Yes, if we wait for this Muerte guy to come here, many innocents will die, and I don't want that."

"But if we go to them, won't some of the soldiers die?" Luna asked.

"As I said, we have Porr," Twilight said with utmost confidence, "With him around, we might not have any losses. Not to mention, the hoof-soldiers will face the small fry."

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence agreed to Twilight's idea and left for their respective duties.

Night came, and the General prepared the army on a dock. He explained everything, making some of the worried soldiers calm down a little.

While the troopers got on the boats, Twilight and her friends prepared their vessel.

It was almost dawn, and the ships set sail toward the small island which housed the Bloody Five and Muerte.

(*****)

While the sea crafts left the dock, a change was happening on the Bloody Five's hideout.

Inside a room, Azurion and Limona sat at a table, talking about matters that happened at The Crystal Empire.

"You probably wouldn't believe this Azurion, but I fought a one armed dragon at The Crystal Empire. He nearly killed me" Limona said.

Azurion's eyes changed unnoticed for a few nanoseconds "Is that so. What did this dragon look like?"

"He had vermilion scales and looked just like your description of him. Oh, and his name is P—."

"Hahahahaha, so that young dragon survived my attack. I should be frustrated, but this might be a good thing." Azurion released his aura. "Thank you for telling me about this, Limona, I appreciate it."

Limona didn't say anything and just wryly smiled. _'I honestly don't know what goes on inside his head. At least he's an ally.'_

Just as Azurion was in the middle of scheming, he sensed several presences coming toward the island. "We have visitors."

"Who do you sense?"

"Except for a bunch of randoms, I sense Twilight Sparkle and her friends."

A faint killing intent shone through Limona's eyes. "Twilight..."

"Not to mention, there are three other alicorns. I assume they are Cadence, Luna, and Celestia."

When Limona heard the name "Celestia," the killing intent around her grew into an unbridled wave.

"Oh right, aren't you one of Celestia's former pupils? I wonder how that encounter will go down," Azurion said, squinting his eyes.

"ARRRRGH, I will destroy Celestia with my power, not Muerte's" With that said, Limona left the room in a fit, leaving Azurion to his lonesome.

"I don't care about the alicorns or whatever force they bring." Azurion sat up and grabbed his huge weapon. "With that young dragon still alive, I should have some fun."

(*****)

The boats that sailed from the dock arrived onto the shore, and just as Twilight said, there was a barrier covering the whole island.

Twilight and the other alicorns lit up their horn and focused their magic into the barricade. Since it was dawn, the wall disappeared quite easily.

With the obstacle gone, the ships made landfall. The ponies on board were unaware that the enemy has already detected them.

(To Be Continued.)


End file.
